8-1BirthplaceTrust

What is the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust? What is its history and mission? //prepared by Samantha K.

 // The Shakespeare Trust is considered to be the most significant Shakespeare charity in the world. The Trust has three main objectives, or so its website states; "to promote in the every part of the world the appreciation and study of the plays and other works of William Shakespeare and general advancements of Shakespearian knowledge, to maintain and preserve the Shakespeare Birthplace properties for the benefit of the nation, and to provide and maintain for the benefit of the nation a museum and library of books, manuscripts, records of historic interest, pictures, photographs and objects of antiquity with particular, but not exclusive reference to William Shakespeare, his life, works and times". This organization was formed in 1847 and was previously owned by Shakespeare's sister's (Joan Hart) descendants for over 200 years after the bard's death. It was then sold in 1806 to a local butcher, and again in 1846 to an American who wanted to try and ship it "brick by brick" to the US. To make an attempt to try and purchase the property for the Nation, the Shakespeare Birthday Committee was formed and even raised £3,000 and bought it the following year. It started with the purchase of Shakespeare's actual birthplace. Since then, it has expanded to four other houses, all relating to Shakespeare. It is based in Stratford-upon, in Warwickshire, England. The charity itself is not government funded, so it has to get its funds completely from donations and income from visitors. Besides being a charity, it also has library, archive, and museum departments. The Library and records Office hold the Shakespeare Collections which is a book collection of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the royal Shakespeare Company, as well as the archive of the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre and of the Royal Shakespeare Company from 1961 and on. It also holds and maintains one of the world's greatest Shakespeare libraries (the collections have been translated in 70+ langauges) and a great number of unique documents relating to Shakespeare and his family. The Local Collections which also includes thousands or archival recorses, books, photos, and maps having to do with Stratford-upon-Avon area and historical documents concerning Shakespeare's family and the poet himself. The first documents to be placed in the Local Collection was received in the early 1860s. Originally it was intended that the collections should relate to Shakespeare and his times, including the Stratford background. The museum department cares for and displays all the historic museum items the trust owns, which mainly relate to Shakespeare's life. Other collections include items that represent social and econoical life of the town. The museum is based at Mary Arden's House (Shakespeare's mother). That objective was soon widened to include many thousands of historical records, not only relating to Stratford but also to large areas of Warwickshire, Worcestershire and Gloucestershire, which range from mid twelfth-century charters to twentieth-century cinema programs, seventeenth-century estate maps to recent planning applications, ancient parish registers and even the latest electoral rolls.

The Trust was very active in the discovery of the new shakespeare portrait. "Professor Stanley Wells, Chairman of The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, and one of the world’s leading experts on Shakespearean studies, today announced the discovery of a portrait of William Shakespeare, which he believes is almost certainly the only authentic image of Shakespeare made from life." announced the Trust's website. The painting was discovered by Alec Cobbe, after visiting a Shakespeare museum in Washington. He saw a portrait of the bard, and realized the same man in the portrait was also in a painting that was a family heirloom. The portrait itself will go on show to the public at the Birthplace Trust in Stratford-upon-Avon on 23 April, which is also Shakespeare's birthdate. “The identification of this portrait marks a major development in the history of Shakespearian portraiture. Up to now, only two images have been widely accepted as genuine likenesses of Shakespeare. Both are dull. This new portrait is a very fine painting. The evidence that it represents Shakespeare and that is was done from life, though it is circumstantial, is in my view overwhelming, I feel in little doubt that this is a portrait of Shakespeare, done from life and commissioned by the Earl of Southampton and believe it could certainly be the basis for the engraving seen in the First Folio." said Prof. Wells of the Trust's site.