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Home»Culture»Culture NewsUniversity's plan to sell Shakespeare's works branded 'act of stupidity'
Future bequests to University of London and its reputation could be damaged if it goes ahead with planned sale of some of Shakespeare’s earliest folios, leading academics warn.
Academics have criticised plans by the University of London to sell some of Shakespeare's works Photo: ALAMY
By Claire Carter
8:57AM BST 04 Sep 2013
5 Comments
Senate House believes it could make £5million by selling the set of four folios at an auction – despite being given them on the condition they are permanently housed in the library.
Academics have criticised the plan and branded it “an act of stupidity of the highest order”, saying no two folios are likely to be the same because of the way they were printed and then corrected.
The set contains each of the four editions of Shakespeare's collected plays that were published in the 17th century, including a copy of the First Folio, which is regarded as the most reliable source.
The folios were bequeathed to the university's Senate House Library by Sir Louis Sterling, an American philanthropist, when he died in 1958.
Christopher Pressler, director of the library, told The Times the folios could be sold to make money for the library to buy manuscripts from the 20th and 21st centuries, as they were ‘duplicates’ of others the library holds.
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But Sir Brian Vickers, a visiting professor at University College London, said no two books could be identical because of the practice of printing them and correcting them. He said: “One of these copies may contain a correction that has puzzled people for many years and has never been solved. So to sell them is an act of stupidity of the highest order. These are invaluable documents for research purposes."
Henry Woudhuysen, rector of Lincoln College at the University of Oxford, also warned the university would damage its integrity and jeopardise future bequests if it went ahead with the sale, planned to take place at Bonhams in November.
He said he feared a very rich private buyer was likely to buy the folios, and thought there was little chance these would be purchased by a library.
A spokesman for the university said the sale was just a proposal so far as they sought to expand their historical collections, and they were holding consultations about the plans. He said feedback had so far been “vociferous” and the sale in November had been put on hold.
He said: £The Folios in question form part of the private collection of rare and first editions given to the University by Sir Louis Sterling in 1956. They comprise the first, second, third and fourth edition Folios, dated 1623, 1632, 1664 and 1685, in early 19th century bindings. The University’s seven other Folios , some in original 17th century bindings , are not under consideration and would remain in the Library.
"The money raised from any sale would be used to invest in the future of the Library by acquiring major works and archives of English literature.
"No decision on a sale has been reached at this stage and the University has begun consulting with the academic community. A recommendation will go to the Board of Trustees in October, after taking into account the views of a wide range of scholars, academic organisations and other libraries."
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bramhall
09/04/2013 06:20 AM
I am surprised that selling these manuscripts was even considered.
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nogginthenog
09/04/2013 01:39 PM
They are printed books, not manuscripts (no Shakespeare manuscripts exist) , but you are right to be surprised. Selling these would be cultural vandalism.
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Veronica
09/04/2013 05:56 AM
I would have thought it illegal given the conditions set out; but then what do I know.
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nogginthenog
09/04/2013 02:00 PM
Sadly, it is quite common for universities these days to seek to break the terms of a bequest made decades ago if they now think they can use the money in other ways. This is what comes of the universities, like the NHS, having been taken over by managers.
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ahmedressam
09/04/2013 05:54 AM
Christopher Pressler should be sacked as he is clearly not doing his job properly.
Protect and conserve the existing collection, and scan and put these artefacts online for goodness' sake so that everyone with an internet connection and the interest can view the Shakespeare folios...Why sell precious and unique C17th artifacts in order to enhance a modern collection of manuscripts? "Selling the family silver" in this way is bizarre and illogical, no doubt the work of yet another faceless suit taking decisions on behalf of future generations...
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