The story of a 400-year-old Shakespeare First Folio and how it was stolen from a university library, damaged, spirited to the US for sale, recovered and finally restored is being told in a new exhibition.
The book was stolen from Durham University’s Cosin Library in 1998 and it reappeared at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington DC 10 years later.
Experts were suspicious of the man who had come to have it authenticated – the flamboyant figure of Raymond Scott, from Washington, Tyne and Wear.
They realised he had the stolen Durham First Folio, recognising it despite the book having its cover and some pages missing, and they notified the FBI and Durham Police and Scott was arrested and charged.
He denied stealing the book – claiming he found it in Cuba while on holiday with a Cuban girlfriend – but he was convicted of handling stolen goods.
Even in its damaged condition, experts thought the book could have sold for more than £1 million.
Scott, who passed himself off as a wealthy playboy but was a crook with huge credit card debts, made a spectacle of his court appearances including once dressing like Fidel Castro.
He was jailed for eight years and took his own life in prison in 2012.
The Shakespeare Recovered exhibition, in the same library from where it was stolen, tells the story of what has happened since the folio was returned in 2010 and how it continues to inspire research.
The First Folio, published in 1623, was the first collection of the Bard’s plays and without it, some 18 of his works including Antony and Cleopatra, Macbeth, and The Tempest, could have been lost to history.
Stuart Hunt, University Librarian at Durham, said: “Shakespeare’s First Folio is a literary wonder of the world, but only Durham’s First Folio can tell such a unique and powerful story.
“Having been at the centre of an international theft and recovery, Durham’s First Folio is truly exceptional.
“The vandalism it sustained left the Folio extremely vulnerable.
“But with this comes an opportunity to closely examine an iconic object in new ways and discover more about Shakespeare’s world and legacy.”
The damage it suffered means visitors to the exhibition will be able to see multiple pages side by side.
The original binding has been exposed, revealing details of how books were made in the 17th century.
And technological advances have allowed experts to discover its hidden secrets, including centuries-old doodles.
Tony King, senior collections care and conservation manager at Durham University, said: “While the vandalism of the folio is tragic, its current condition reveals parts of the book that would otherwise be hidden.
“We’ve used cutting-edge heritage science to explore this cultural masterpiece in new ways, deepening our understanding of it.”
About 750 copies of the First Folio were printed originally and only 235 are known to survive, and each is unique.
The exhibition runs from April 4 to November 2 at the Palace Green Library in Durham.
Scott always denied stealing the book but, shortly before his conviction, he told his biographer a “fairy story” about someone sneaking into the university library.
He told Mike Kelly, a journalist for the Sunday Sun newspaper in Newcastle: “It wasn’t kept in a bank vault – it was openly kept on a book shelf and lovingly cherished.
“Then maybe the person fell in love and thought it’s time to realise an asset.
“Perhaps this person decided to live one day as a lion rather than spend his days as a lamb. To live life to the full in Havana, London, Paris.
“You can’t do this without money, without a lot of money.
“This is just a fairy story, of course.”
When he was arrested, Scott, who had never held down a job, told officers: “I’m an alcoholic and need two bottles of top-of-the-range champagne every day, but only after 6pm.
“I hope you have some in the police station.”
