The Shakespeare First Folio: The History of the Book

This major reference book for Shakespeare scholars and bibliographers is the second part of the story of 'the greatest book' in the English language. Listing 228 copies of the First Folio, the Census gives concise descriptions of each, covering condition, special features, provenance, and binding. It traces the search for copies, and much more.

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Existing copies of the Shakespeare First Folio (1623) were surveyed and counted a hundred years ago, in Sidney Lee's Census of 1902. Since then, some seventy copies have come to light, some of which are only now identified as First Folios. This new Census lists 229 copies, giving concise descriptions of each. The entries cover condition (including the number of original leaves), items of special interest, provenance, and binding. A concordance of Lee and West numbers is also provided.
To set the stage, the volume tells the story of the search for copies and the detective work involved in dealing with doubtful identifications. Because Folios survive in such a wide variety of condition, the tests for defining what to count as a copy are described, then demonstrated with three unnumbered, unrecognized copies at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Finally, details of missing copies are given, to increase the likelihood of their rediscovery.