The Shakespeare First Folio: The History of the BookVolume I: An Account of the First Folio Based on its Sales and Prices, 1623-2000

by Anthony James West

Overview

While vast amounts have been written about the publication of the Shakespeare First Folio, this volume breaks new ground in its account of the price and sales history of the books, placing this in the context both of Shakespeare's standing and of the contemporary world of antiquarian book sales. It charts the number and distribution of copies at the beginning and end of the twentieth century, surveys the nineteen facsimile editions since 1807, and assesses earlier listings of the work since 1824, including Sidney Lee's Census (1902). It also indicates the history of the volumes' ownership—ranging from country parson to President of Standard Oil.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780198187691
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
Publication date:	04/05/2001
Series:	The Shakespeare First Folio
Pages:	238
Product dimensions:	9.40(w) x 6.04(h) x 0.72(d)

Table of Contents

Foreword, Stanley WellsGeneral PrefacePreface to Volume IList of TablesList of ChartsList of IllustrationsAbbreviations and ReferencesShort Titles1. Sales and Prices of First Folios: A History from 1623 to the Present2. The Number and Distribution of First Folios Worldwide, 1902 and 20003. A Survey of First Folio Facsimiles since the Early 19th Century4. Listings of the First Folio since the Early 19th CenturyConcordances of Lee/West and West/Lee copy numbersList of Manuscripts and Printed Works ConsultedIndex

Editorial Reviews

"An exceptionally engaging study.... West's account is so admirably concise that it's quite impossible to reduce it here; at the same time, it's full of fascinating and pointed observation.... It would be hard to imagine a better opening to the enterprise West has undertaken."—Studies in English Literature 1500-1900

"In addition to providing a thorough and well-documented study exploring condition, pedigree, annotation, and prices of the first folio, West also provides extensive information for research and reference.... And he includes anecdotes—for example,...Fulford Adams's remark when Henry Folger approached him about buying a folio edition: 'It is something to have one.' This...sentiment could apply to West's book, a scholarly achievement in itself."—Choice

"A magisterial study of the posthumous history of a book... Dr West's enterprise is comparable in scope to that of the compilers of the Folio itself.... his monumental study forms a major contribution to the shelf of volumes essential to the Shakespeare scholar."—Stanley Wells, from the Foreword

"[The Shakespeare First Folio] is, and I am not being either sarcastic or flippant, a magnificent goal and will be, when completed, an undreamed-of contribution to scholarship.... This first volume is a mine of information filed with tables, charts, appendices, and just about all a student could want for getting into the history of the First Folio's afterlife.... I believe West's study of the First Folio will become, when completed, a model of how one does post-publication book history. I look forward with anticipation to the next three volumes."—William Proctor Williams, Review

From the Publisher