I am pleased to welcome back the 2nd Folio of Shakespeare, just in time for the fall semester!

Acquired by the Watkinson in the spring of 2012, the book was cleaned and repaired in February by Marie Oedel, who does conservation work for the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston (among other places). Marie generously donated about 30% of the labor involved–which came to over 40 hours of cleaning and repairing!

We then had to replace seven (7) missing leaves from the book, which were reproduced lettepress (from polymer plates) by Scott Vile of the Ascensius Press from scans of the copy at the John Carter Brown Library (Brown University).

Finally, we had the book bound in full leather by Sam Ellenport, a master binder, who used materials and designs consistent with books bound in England in the 1630s.

It is now ready to take up permanent residence in the Watkinson stacks, and to be shown to classes and consulted by researchers!