William Shakespeare First Folio

Originally published 1632;
Facsimile edition 1909

Following William Shakespeare’s death in 1616, John Hemmings and Henry Condell, both members of Shakespeare's acting company, the King's Players, sorted through the numerous versions of his plays circulating at the time to compile the first collected edition of Shakespeare’s plays. Known as the First Folio, it was published in 1623, containing 36 plays in 900 pages. It remains the only known source for 18 of Shakespeare’s plays, including Macbeth, The Tempest and Twelfth Night. Three later versions of the folio were published, each different due to typographical variation and errors, editorial changes and the particular printing process used.

The Second Folio was published in 1632. The facsimile seen here was printed in London in 1909.