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Folger First Folio 36

Detail of printed page showing horizontal printer's ornament above

The Purple Copy

This First Folio has been called the “purple” copy, because five leaves have an unusual, faint purple tint, as do some leaves in First Folio 78. This suggests that someone supplied both of the First Folios with original leaves from the same, purple-tinted First Folio.

But that’s not all: incredibly, the “purple” copy has leaves from at least five different First Folios. Henry and Emily Folger purchased it in 1901 for $892.50.

See its book binding

Explore its catalog entry

View in our digital image collection

See where it traveled on tour in 2016