A rare copy of Shakespeare’s first collection of plays went on display in London on Monday to mark the 400th anniversary of its publication.
Exhibited only on Monday, it was exceptionally visible in the Guildhall library. It is one of the best-preserved versions of the British playwright’s “first folio” (1564-1616), which includes plays like Macbeth and Twelfth Night.
The collection was first published on November 8, 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death. The Guildhall’s chief bookseller, Peter Ross, decided to exhibit the document “as close as possible to Shakespeare’s birthday”, usually celebrated on April 23, without certainty as to the exact date.
