• The Hub

    News, Notes, Talk

    A Shakespeare First Folio sold this week for $10 million.

    Corinne Segal
    By 
    October 15, 2020, 10:56am

    Congratulations to Stephan Loewentheil, the proud new owner of a Shakespeare First Folio, which he acquired on Wednesday at Christie’s for the low, low price of $10 million. And it’s not even his first one!

    Loewentheil, who founded the 19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop in Brooklyn, purchased his first First Folio (sorry) in 2010 and either one or two others in the last decade. The edition of Shakespeare’s works was published in 1623 by John Heminge and Henry Condell.

    It is unknown exactly how many copies exist—according to some estimates, there could be more than 200 in circulation—but it is incredibly rare to find a complete edition; the copy that Loewentheil purchased is one of only five in the world and comes from Mills College, which decided to sell it to help cover a budget deficit. Seems pretty helpful to have one of these lying around.

    [via Fine Books & Collections]

    19th Century Rare Book and Photograph Shop Christie's First Folio Stephan Loewentheil William Shakespeare

    • Become a Lit Hub Supporting Member: Because Books Matter

    For the past decade, Literary Hub has brought you the best of the book world for free—no paywall. But our future relies on you. In return for a donation, you’ll get an ad-free reading experience, exclusive editors’ picks, book giveaways, and our coveted Joan Didion Lit Hub tote bag. Most importantly, you’ll keep independent book coverage alive and thriving on the internet.

    Become a member for as low as $5/month

    Dismiss without supporting Lit Hub
    x
    %d bloggers like this: