In December 1998, the Durham First Folio, a copy of William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, was stolen along with six other items while on display in Cosin’s Library. For a decade, there was no news of the missing books and Durham University had to accept that the First Folio was lost. But the story didn’t end there…
The Shakespeare Recovered exhibition, held at Palace Green Library from April 2025 to April 2026, told the story of what happened next, exploring the work of our conservation team to make the First Folio accessible again.
See below for a gallery of images of the exhibition and check back later this year for more online content.
Item 1 of 6
You might also be interested in Binding the Bard, an exhibition of the entrants to our international bookbinding competition.
Visit to explore how the entrants have chosen to bind a modern reproduction of Shakespeare's First Folio.
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