Public get chance to see ultra rare Shakespeare first folio in North Yorkshire after surviving 400 years

The playwright’s early works were put together and published as a ‘first folio’ in 1623, with 750 thought to have been printed, but less than a third of that number are known to have survived worldwide.

That makes originals a literary rarity and hugely important because some of the content was not published in any other form.

An ultra rare example with an intriguing history is on display at North Yorkshire Council’s Craven Museum in Skipton, in carefully managed conditions to protect its integrity for future generations.

Although it was gifted to the museum in 1936, it was mistakenly identified as a second folio of reduced rarity, a situation only corrected when it was examined by literary expert, Dr Anthony West in 2002.

North Yorkshire Council’s executive member for culture and arts, Coun Simon Myers, said: “It is wonderful that we have such a significant document on public display in North Yorkshire.

“It is not only rare but documents from that era will always need expert care to make sure they survive without deterioration and that is what our team provide, including regularly turning pages to prevent fading.

“That means it can stay on permanent public display, as one of the many fascinating artefacts the county’s museums have to offer.”

Born in Stratford upon Avon in Warwickshire in 1564, Shakespeare is regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world’s most distinguished dramatist.

It is believed that he wrote about 38 plays, including Macbeth, The Merchant of Venice, Twelfth Night and Romeo and Juliet.

The folio on display in North Yorkshire Council’s Craven Museum has clearly had a chequered history and the condition of some pages suggest it spent some time without a binding.

Its history is only known from the point it was acquired by businessman and amateur playwright John James Wilkinson, whose family owned Primrose Mill at Embsay.

The rest, as they say, is for another story...