Shakespeare’s treasure to go on public display (From Craven Herald)

Craven Museum, Skipton, to unveil rare edition of Shakespeare's First Folio of works

11:40am Friday 25th March 2011 in News

Shakespearian actor and star of Star Trek, Sir Patrick Stewart, is to take part in the unveiling to the public for the first time of a rare edition of William Shakespeare’s First Folio of works.

He has voiced the commentary to accompany the volume which is to go on show, after decades of being locked away, at the Craven Museum in Skipton.

The Mirfield-born actor, who has a home in the Dales, will tell the story behind the 1623 publication, one of the most important books in the English language.

He will explain how the folio was put together and published by Shakespeare’s friends Henry Condell and Philip Heminges. He said: “To find that our county now has, and has had for several decades, in its possession a First Folio of Shakespeare’s plays, albeit not complete, is very exciting to me.

“To have this significant book on display in Skipton is a marvellous thing and we must all be very grateful to those people who have made it possible.”

Craven district Councillor Ken Hart, lead member for culture, said: “We are overwhelmed by the support that Sir Patrick has shown to this small museum in the heart of the Dales.”

The volume – one of only 49 in the UK – is being given pride of place in a specially-built exhibition room at the museum in Skipton Town Hall.

Following the opening to the public tomorrow, experts from Leeds University will hold a lecture in which they will explore the volume’s influence. Dr Mark Westgarth, lecturer in museum studies, will talk about 19th century collectors of Shakespearian memorabilia and Professor Michael Brennan, Professor of Renaissance Studies, will focus on the First Folio.

Today only about 230 survive and some individual copies are valued in their millions.

A Craven council spokesman said: “For decades, the council thought the folio was a second edition until Dr Anthony West, who was compiling a list of all the First Folios from around the world, came to Skipton in 2003 and confirmed that it was a First Folio.” The Skipton Folio, minus the comedies and the title page, was bought in the early 1900s by Embsay cotton mill owner John Wilkinson. He died in 1919 and left all of his possessions to his sister Ann. When she died in 1936 she left it to the museum. The display was financed by Renaissance Yorkshire and Edith Stead.

To find out more about Craven Museum’s First Folio, visit the new website cravenmuseum.org.

Free tickets are available for the lectures on Wednesday from 7.30pm at the museum. To book a place, call (01756) 706407.