Stolen Durham copy of Shakespeare folio goes on display
A copy of Shakespeare's First Folio which was stolen 25 years ago is to go on display for the first time in more than a decade.The book was taken from Durham University's Cosin's Library in 1998 and reappeared 10 years later at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington D.C.It was badly damaged and returned to Durham in 2010. Antiques dealer Raymond Scott, from County Durham, was jailed for eight years the same year for handling the stolen copy, but was cleared of stealing the treasure. The exhibition, Shakespeare Recovered, will run from 4 April to 2 November at Palace Green Library in Durham.
The First Folio, published in 1623, was the first collected edition of Shakespeare's plays. It includes 36 plays, including Anthony and Cleopatra, Macbeth and The Tempest and without it these works might have been lost.
Stuart Hunt, director of university library and collections and University Librarian, said: "Having been at the centre of an international theft and recovery, Durham's First Folio is truly exceptional."The vandalism it sustained left it extremely vulnerable. "But with this comes an opportunity to closely examine an iconic object in new ways and discover more about Shakespeare's world and legacy."
Visitors to the exhibition will be able to see multiple pages side by side.The original binding has been exposed, revealing details of how books were made in the 17th Century.Technological advances have also allowed experts to discover its hidden secrets, including centuries-old doodles.Hand-made replicas, showing how it would have looked in the 1600s will also be shown.
Tony King, the university's senior collections care and conservation manager, said: "While the vandalism of the Folio is tragic, its current condition reveals parts of the book that would otherwise be hidden."The book was originally purchased by Bishop John Cosin in the 1620s and added to his library in Durham in 1669.About 750 copies were originally printed, but only 235 are known to have survived.
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