THE SHAKESPEARE SECOND FOLIO

In Vancouver, Canada, the University of British Columbia Rare Books and Special Collections houses a 1632 edition of the collected plays of William Shakespeare. Also known as the Second Folio because of its printing format, its full title is Mr. William Shakespeares comedies, histories, and tragedies: published according to the true originall copies. It contains 36 of Shakespeare’s plays, and for 20 of them, it is arguably the only reliable source text. Like the other Folio impressions, it begins with a preface and some introductory verses and dedications. Other notable features include Martin Droeshout’s iconic engraving of Shakespeare and the first printed poem of John Milton. 

​

Specific to the RBSC copy is a 17th c. inscription and the signature of its oldest known owner. It also boasts a new binding likely dating from the 19th c., marbled paper endsheets, gilded edges and a handsomely decorated red leather cover. Its pages also reveal the traditional marks of Renaissance printing and paper manufacture. The only major damage the book has suffered is a detached back cover and a title page in facsimile; it otherwise stands in excellent condition. The book was owned originally by the Rt. Hon. John Burns until 1944, when it was sold in a Sotheby & Co. sale. In 1960, Walter C. Koerner donated it to the University Library, where it has remained ever since. 

​

To learn more about one of the most influential books ever published in English, and the copy that resides at UBC, please explore the main acts of this website.