Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

Collections

Designated as being of national importance the collections of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust (SBT) and the Royal Shakespeare Company (brought together in 1964) form a unique resource.  As the most important holding of Shakespeare related material in the UK, the collections provide a major resource for research not only into Shakespeare’s work, life and times, but also the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company.  

The collections are also a key resource for the development of the formal and informal learning offer and for the presentation of the Shakespeare properties we look after. They are a core activity of the Trust and contribute significantly to the Trust’s reputation as the leading Shakespeare organisation internationally. 

 

The collections are made up of the following:

The Museum Collection
Over 11,000 objects, most of which date from the 16th to the 18th centuries. They include furniture, art and objects relating to domestic life. Many objects are on display in Shakespeare Birthplace Trust properties around Stratford, while others are accessible at the Shakespeare Centre.

Library and Archive
The collections cover all aspects of Shakespeare’s life, work, times and the history of Stratford-upon-Avon.  They also document the stage history of Shakespeare and other dramatists, especially of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods.

The collection also includes printed materials on William Shakespeare, particularly reference books, periodicals, photographs, pictures, individual editions of the plays and sets of complete works, translations of the plays into 80 languages, biographies, critical studies and books on the performance history of the plays.

The RSC Archive
This archive includes production materials covering the history of the Royal Shakespeare Company and its predecessor, the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre, from 1879 to the present. This includes photos, programmes, prompt books, reviews and designs. There are also video recordings of productions since 1982 which may be viewed for a small charge.

To explore the collections in more detail visit our Online Catalogues, or for an overview of some of our most celebrated items take a look at our Treasures pages.

For posts, videos and online exhibitions check out our Collections blog at Finding Shakespeare.