College Library marked the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death with this exhibition, which brought together rare books, prints, drawings and other materials from its extensive holdings in English literature and theatre history to illustrate changing approaches to presenting Shakespeare’s plays over the centuries.
Items on display outlined the early publication history of the plays and evolving practices in production texts, staging, costume and set design, and the interpretation of characters. Highlights included our copies of the First, Second, Third, and Fourth Folios, an issue of the first edition of Troilus and Cressida printed during Shakespeare’s lifetime, a W.H. Ireland forgery, photographs and wood carvings designed by Edward Gordon Craig in preparation for the 1912 production of Hamlet at the Moscow Arts Theatre, and a drawing by the actor Antony Sher.
Curated by Rachel Bond, College Librarian, Dr Stephanie Coane, Deputy Curator of Modern Collections and Madeleine Smith, Assistant Librarian, Eton College