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A rare look at some of the earliest published works of William Shakespeare

Step into a vault of centuries-old books at this DC library

Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D.C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP’s “Matt About Town” segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday.

Some of the rarest and earliest published works of William Shakespeare — dating back more than 400 years — can be found at the Folger Shakespeare Library in the District.

In Tuesday’s episode of “Matt About Town,” WTOP’s Matt Kaufax dives deep into Shakespeare’s “first folios,” which sit behind glass in a dimly-lit, climate-controlled exhibition hall on Capitol Hill.

The best part: Anyone can come and visit.

A few titles that visitors might recognize include “Romeo and Juliet,” “Hamlet” and “Macbeth” — works that have influenced so many aspects of the modern English language and entertainment.

The latest “Matt About Town” episode is the first of a five-part miniseries from The Folger Shakespeare Library.

Hear “Matt About Town” first every Tuesday and Thursday on 103.5 FM.

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Step into a vault of rare texts from Shakespeare and beyond at DC’s Folger Library

Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D.C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP’s “Matt About Town” segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday. If you venture through a maze of hallways, past layers of tight security, and cross the threshold of what looks like an old-fashioned bank safe door, you'll arrive at one of the rarest collections of books not just in the nation's capital — but in the entire known universe.
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