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Shakespeare & Beyond

Hamlet on the (very) small stage

Did you pick up a souvenir X-wing figurine for the opening of Rogue One last night? Maybe you’re getting a tie-in edition of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them for Christmas this year, or a poster from the Ghostbusters remake. In 1948, you might have eagerly awaited this book of characters and scenery reproduced from Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet to stage the film at home. 

Hamlet theater cover

This item was acquired by the Folger in 2006, and featured at our annual Acquisitions Night the following year. It presents a condensed summary of the play, intermingled with impressionistic images of the scene settings used in the film. The center spread features images of the characters from the film in various poses.

Hamlet cut-out figures center spread

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