New Display Celebrates 400 Years of Shakespeare's First Folio

On Friday 31 March, a First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, in two volumes, will go on display at the National Maritime Museum, as part of a national celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Folio’s publication.

Shakespeare’s First Folio was published in 1623, seven years after his death. 235 copies are known to survive, with 50 remaining in the UK.

The Dulwich College Folio, which includes Shakespeare’s Comedies and Histories (but lack the Tragedies), is believed to have been acquired by the College in 1686 from the estate of the actor and bookseller William Cartwright. Cartwright performed with the King’s Company and is known to have played Brabantio in Othello and Falstaff in Henry IV Part I and Part II. He was much admired by Samuel Pepys.

The two volumes contain evidence of possible use in theatrical performances. Handwritten notes, ink and water stains and burn holes suggest these volumes were well-used before they were acquired by Dulwich College.

The display at the National Maritime Museum reflects on London’s changing relationship to the water during Shakespeare’s lifetime, when maritime expansion created juxtaposing views of the sea as a place of opportunity, but one that was also a hostile and unpredictable.

Throughout his plays, Shakespeare invokes maritime imagery, from sea battles and shipwrecks to sunken treasure and magical islands. It has caused scholars to question whether Shakespeare travelled overseas himself. More likely, the proximity of London’s docks and volume of passing sailors influenced Shakespeare’s writings.

Displayed alongside the two volumes will be a copy of The Telltale, a manuscript play written sometime after 1605, and a petition from Thames watermen to reopen the Rose Theatre in 1590 following an outbreak of plague.

Lucy Dale, Curator of Maritime History at the National Maritime Museum said, “This is a unique opportunity to view Shakespeare’s works in a new context. Shakespeare arrived in London at the height of England’s ‘oceanic turn’ and his works are infused with maritime themes, poetry and a distinct early modern ambivalence towards all that the oceans represent.”

Dr Joe Spence, Master of Dulwich College commented, “On the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s First Folio Dulwich College is delighted to partner with Royal Museums Greenwich to display its copy of this rare text and other contemporary treasures from its archive. Edward Alleyn, who founded Dulwich College in 1619, was the theatrical impresario of his day. His diary records journeys from Dulwich to Greenwich in his role as Master of the King’s Bulls, Bears and Mastiffs, so we are delighted to be keeping a South London connection alive four centuries later. Alleyn’s legacy was educational, and we are certain that sharing the Folio with as wide an audience as possible in 2023 fosters his spirit in this year of national celebration.” 

 

Full fathom five thy father lies;

Of his bones are coral made;

Those are pearls that were his eyes:

Nothing of him that doth fade

But doth suffer a sea-change

Into something rich and strange.

Sea-nymphs hourly ring his knell

Ariel’s Song, The Tempest

 

FOLIO 400 EVENTS

The Tempest and the Thames

A First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, in two volumes, on loan from Dulwich College, will be displayed in Maritime London. The display marks the 400th anniversary of the First Folio’s publication and draws out the links between the nautical in Shakespeare’s works and the city in which he wrote them.

Date:               31 March – 24 September 2023
Time:              10.00 – 17.00
Age:                Suitable for all ages
Location:        The National Maritime Museum, Maritime London Gallery
Website:         www.rmg.co.uk/folio-400
Admission:     Free
 

Folio 400 Celebration

On Shakespeare’s birthday, special tours of the Tudor and Stuart Seafarers Gallery and the Queen’s House will be held alongside the display in the Maritime London gallery.

Date:               23 April 2023
Time:              10.00 – 17.00
Age:                Suitable for all ages
Location:        The National Maritime Museum and Queen’s House
Admission:     Free
 

NOTES TO EDITORS

1. The National Maritime Museum holds the world’s largest maritime collection telling stories of Britain’s epic relationship with the sea.
   
   The National Maritime Museum is part of Royal Museums Greenwich which also incorporates the 17th-century Queen’s House, Royal Observatory Greenwich and the famous clipper ship Cutty Sark. This unique collection of museums and heritage buildings form a key part of the Maritime Greenwich UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also a major centre of education and research. The mission of Royal Museums Greenwich is to enrich people’s understanding of the sea, the exploration of space, and Britain's role in world history. For more information, visit www.rmg.co.uk.
    
2. Dulwich College is an academically selective independent boys’ school in south London.  Founded in 1619, it has a distinguished tradition of inspired teaching and genuine scholarship, and is committed to nurturing a supportive community which encourages a sense of social responsibility and spiritual and personal development, and pupils and staff from a variety of backgrounds feel equally valued. It has always been something of a Cradle of Writers (P.G. Wodehouse, Raymond Chandler, C.S. Forester, Michael Ondaatje, Graham Swift, Tom Rob Smith, Tom McCarthy) and Actors (Chiwetel Ejiofor, Rupert Penry-Jones, Laurie Davidson).
   
   Awarded Contribution to Social Mobility Award 2022, Dulwich College offers a significant number of Bursaries each year and warmly welcomes applications from boys who are intellectually curious and enthusiastic to stretch themselves to their limits irrespective of background or circumstance. For more information, visit  www.dulwich.org.uk.
    
3. The First Folio is one of the great wonders of the literary world. Published in 1623, seven years after the death of its author, it was the first printed edition of Shakespeare’s collected plays. Without this achievement, we would have lost half of his dramatic work. Folio400 and its website www.folio400.com are dedicated in gratitude to the 400th birthday of this foundational book on the 8th November 2023. Visit the website to find out how the book came to be, listen to Shakespearean Actors read for Folio400 from a First Folio (in sync with highlighted original text) and see what’s happening where in this celebratory year.

For further information or images, please contact:
Victoria Mottram, Royal Museums Greenwich Press Office
press@rmg.co.uk | 020 8312 6789