F. Theresa Chisholm Shakespeare Volumes (The famous First Folio)
Shakespeare's works are still widely celebrated and studied today, and for good reason. He invented a multitude of words and phrases that are still in common use and he created fantastic stories for generations to come. The First Folio includes many of his most famous plays, including Romeo and Juliet, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Hamlet, King Lear, Macbeth, and The Tempest. The plays in the First Folio are arranged into three categories: comedies, histories, and tragedies.
This production in the Saint Mary’s rare book room of The First Folio was originally published by Day and Son, Lithographers, and Publishers in 1866, using the relatively new lithographic printing process. Lithography is a printing process that involves creating an image of the content to be printed on a plate, which is then covered in ink and used for printing. Alois Senefelder discovered this type of printing in 1798. Soon after Alois Senefelder's discovery, lithography became popular among many artists in France during the mid-1800s.
Lithography allowed for the creation of high-quality reproductions of Shakespeare's plays, which helped to spread his works and influence beyond England. Additionally, lithography allowed for the creation of beautiful and intricate illustrations to accompany the text, further enhancing the plays' visual appeal. Overall, the First Folio is a remarkable piece of literary history and a testament to William Shakespeare's enduring influence and importance for future generations.
This publication of William Shakespeare's Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies was dedicated to F. Theresa Chisholm. She was an instructor in speech and drama at Saint Mary's College. She was awarded the Achievement Award in Performing Arts in 1987 due to her teaching skills, artistic interpretation, and devotion to her students, this having this publication dedicated to her. She laid the foundation for the growth and recognition of Saint Mary's excellence in Communication and Theatre studies. Unfortunately, she passed away in 1943 and is interred in St. Joseph's Cemetery in West Roxbury, Massachusetts.