400th Anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio Marked with Exhibits, Collector's Editions

Scholars believe 200-300 copies of the First Folio still survive; Rizzoli's "Shakespeare's First Folio: 400th Anniversary Facsimile Edition" retails for $150, while a limited edition box set by Folio Society sells for $1,500, with over 75% of the units already sold.

• The 400th anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio is being celebrated with rare originals displayed in museums and new, collectors' editions of the plays being made available for purchase.
• Two significant publication projects have been launched to commemorate the anniversary; one by the British Museum in collaboration with Rizzoli Books, offering Shakespeare’s First Folio: 400th Anniversary Facsimile Edition for $150, and an exclusive edition by The Folio Society, The Complete Plays, retailing at $1,500.
• The Folio Society’s 'The Complete Plays,' is a limited edition, 3-volume box set that includes an introduction by Gregory Doran, artistic director emeritus of the Royal Shakespeare Company and a foreword by Dame Judi Dench. Over 75% of these have already been sold.
• Publishing the First Folio in 1623 was a daring move as such publications were typically reserved for works of great importance; it was more expensive to produce than any other collection of plays at the time.
• The First Folio is an important historical artifact, with more than half of the existing copies found in the United States, followed by the United Kingdom and Japan. One copy sold at auction for $9.9 million in 2020.

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