A rare complete copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio sold for almost $10 million Wednesday, October 14, becoming the most expensive work of literature ever to appear at auction, according to Christie’s. After a six-minute bidding war between three telephone bidders, the item was purchased by the 19th Century Shop’s Stephan Loewentheil.
The First Folio, the most important collection of plays ever published, is revered throughout the world. It is an honor to acquire one of only a handful of complete privately-owned copies of this epochal volume. It will ultimately serve as a centerpiece of a great collection of intellectual achievements of man.
The First Folio is “the greatest work in the English language, certainly the greatest work of theater, so it’s something that anyone who loves intellectualism has to consider a divine object.” – Stephan Loewentheil
CNN, October 15, 2020. Rare copy of Shakespeare’s First Folio sells for record $10M.