Jesuits contribute to major Shakespeare exhibition at British Museum

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 July. This will be an iconic, unmissable literary and artistic exhibition from the British Museum with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

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 17th 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.

For more information on the exhibition go to: www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/exhibitions/shakespeare_staging_the_world.aspx