Tomorrow (the 23rd of April) marks the 450th anniversary of William Shakespeare’s birth. Shakespeare is considered by many to be the greatest playwright of all time. He lived during the reigns of Elizabeth I and James I and coined hundreds of new words and phrases that we still use today. His 37 plays vary in type; historical romances, light, fantastic comedies, some are tragedies and all include the comical and the farcical. After fleeing to London to become an actor he become manager of the Globe Theatre where much of his work was first performed. Shakespeare returned to Stratford upon Avon for his latter years where he died at the age of 52 and now lies at rest in a special grave at Holy Trinity Church.
So to celebrate the Bards birthday, find five retro inspired vintage shopping buys we at Your Vintage Life think you love…
1. You can’t celebrate Shakespeare without embracing his work. Source vintage versions of his plays and it will be something you’ll keep forever. Look for leather bound editions or versions with illustrated plates. This Works Of Shakespeare by Henry Irving is from 1894 and includes All’s Well, Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure, Troilus and Cressida and Macbeth. Beautiful.
2. How about an intricate illustration featuring the words of Shakespeare? This poster features a verse from Shakespeare’s Hamlet surrounded by Sonnet 116, a beautiful piece concerning the nature of love. We feel a swoon coming on…
3. As well as a piece of art, a Shakespearian quote works perfectly on a piece of jewellery and there are some lovely pieces that have been created on Etsy. Being of diminutive stature (i.e. a shortie!) we like this hand made necklace by Delilahandwild but they can put any quote you like on it…
4. Visit the open air excellence of the Globe Theatre with a trip to see the rebuilt site and watch a play as it was meant to be performed. There are exhibitions too for a really great day out on London’s Thames bankside.
5. Shakespeare can feature on all sorts of collectable china. Look out for Royal Doulton, Wedgewood and Beswick examples. This Anita Harris Pottery Shakespeare figure is pretty cool and would look great in any retro home.
Tomorrow enjoy a bit of the Bard and embrace the iambic pentameter – he really did have some of the best stories – and “this is the short and the long of it”. – (The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act II, Scene II).
Written by Sarah Gorlov
