We are delighted to announce that Stonyhurst College and the British Jesuit Province are lending three important artefacts to the British Museum for this summer’s major exhibition: ‘Shakespeare: Staging The World’.  The exhibition opens at the British Museum in London on Thursday, 19^th July 2012. This will be an iconic, unmissable literary and artistic exhibition from the British Museum with the Royal Shakespeare Company— we hope that many of you will get the opportunity to see this wonderful exhibition.

 

Stonyhurst is lending its First Folio, a rare copy of the very first edition of Shakespeare’s plays, printed in 1623. The College copy was bought by Lord Arundell in the 17^th century and is part of the Arundell Library collection.

 

The College is also lending the Pedlar’s Trunk. The trunk is similar to those used by travelling salesmen of the time, but instead of containing ribbons, threads and silks for sale, it contains vestments, an altar stone and chalice, for celebrating mass.

 

One of the most powerful relics lent to the exhibition by the British Jesuit Province is the right eye of the Blessed Edward Oldcorne SJ, who was martyred in 1606. Collected by Catholics after his execution, it probably made its way to St Omers quite soon afterwards, as it was a very dangerous object to be found with in post-Gunpowder Plot England.

 

This exhibition highlights some of the magnificent artefacts that we are privileged to be custodians of.  We hope that many of you will have the opportunity to see this major exhibition which runs from 19^th July to 25^th November 2012.

 

Link to British Museum - Shakespeare Staging the World

 

If you wish to find out more about Stonyhurst's historical Collections and Archives ....read more 

 

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As part of the exhibition, the College Curator, Mrs Graffius, has also recorded two programmes for Radio 4 with Dr Neil MacGregor, the Director of the British Museum, discussing two of the loans. To listen to the Radio 4 series, entitled Shakespeare’s Restless World, please follow the links below:

Disguise and Deception

The Theatres of Cruelty