Li. _____.... d1Y l '"'T�� tt r t>' J�:� 6•1?4�' news-£e e UN<\ The SHAKESPEARE FELLOWSHIP-E.wA,HIM,rnN AMERICAN BRANCH VOL. I FEBRUARY, 1940 NO. 2 The Secret Personality of "Shakespeare" Brought to Light After Three Centuries The Ashbourne portrait (above), owned by the cally for the first time in history - with results Folger Shakespeare Library, and two other famous likely to change the whole course of Shakespearean paintings of the poet have been dissected scientifi• research. Solution of authorship mystery at hand. 2 NEWS-LETTER Scientific Proof Given that Lord Oxford Posed for Ancient Portraits of the Bard X-RAYS AND INFRA-RED PHOTOGRAPHY SHOW THAT EDWARD DE VERE, MYSTERIOUS LITERARY NOBLEMAN, IS THE REAL MAN IN THE FAMOUS ASHBOURNE "SHAKESPEARE" AND ALSO IN OTHER PAINTINGS OF ENGLAND'S GREATEST DRAMATIST. CHARLES WISNER BARRELL'S EPOCH-MAKING DISCOVERIES ARE FEATURED BY SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN AND TELEGRAPHED TO MORE THAN 2,000 NEWSPAPERS BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND OTHER NEWS AGENCIES. WORK OF AMERICAN SECRETARY OF THE SHAKESPEARE FELLOW­ SHIP REPRESENTS A LANDMARK IN ELIZABETHAN RESEARCH AND MAY CAUSE IMMEDIATE REVALUATION OF THE COMMONLY ACCEPTED THEORY OF THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE PLAYS. Early in the morning of December 13, 1939 - It has remained for the American secretary of a date not soon to be forgotten by anyone in­ THE SHAKESPEARE FELLOWSHIP and a skilled terested in the pictorial record of "Mr. William group of technicians working under his direction, Shakespeare" - the news operators of the As­ to bring to light and accurately interpret after sociated Press began to tap out across two exhaustive corroborative studies among Eliza­ thousand wires leading to newspapers throughout bethan and Jacobean art, historical and genealog­ the length and breadth of the American continent, ical records, facts which the foremost "orthodox" a feature story that began as follows: Shakespearean authorities have completely over­ New York, Dec. 13-(AP)-X-ray evidence looked. that three world-famous paintings supposedly Charles Wisner Barrell's work, as outlined in of William Shakespeare actually are of the the Scientific American for January, 1940, under Earl of Oxford - interpreted as corroborat­ the title of "Identifying 'Shakespeare' With X-rays ing the theory that the Earl was the real and Infra-Red Photography," vindicates the find­ author of "Shakespeare's" plays - was re­ ings of J. Thomas Looney, who in 1920 published ported today by Charles W. Barrell, photo­ his remarkable volume of literary detection, graphic expert and prominent Shakespearean "Shakespeare" Identified In Edward de Vere, 17th student . in an article in the forthcoming Earl of Oxford. The evidence produced by these issue of Scientific American Magazine . two men, covering years of painstaking effort to get at the basic facts in history's most puzzling There is no need to repeat the entire news re­ "missing person" case, is clear-cut, circumstan­ lease, for you undoubtedly read it at the time. It tial - and graphic. Corroborating and supple­ marked a culminating point in the history of menting each other, the labors of Messrs. Looney Shakespearean research, detailing the high lights and Barrell seem destined to bring about a revolu­ of the first scientifically conceived and illustrated tion in the entire fieldof Shakespearean biography. revelation of the hidden personality behind the Mr. Looney found Lord Oxford's personality re­ painted camouflage of the so-called "Bard of flected in the plays and poems. Mr. Barrell Avon." actually shows the lineaments and over-painted Incredible as it may sound, no investigation symbols of the mysterious literary nobleman in employing such tools of scientific accuracy as three of the best-known portraits of the Bard - X-rays and infra-red photography had previously paintings which the foremost Shakespearean art been carried out for the purpose of penetrating experts of the past two centuries have agreed upon the oft-suggested secrets lurking in the backgrounds as compositions of Elizabethan or Jacobean crafts­ of these ancient portraits. manship. --�/ FEBRUARY, 1940 3 While his investigation includes complete dis­ Roentgen rays were applied under the joint direc­ sections by photographic science of the Hampton tion of Mr. A. C. Cooper and the Curator of Court Palace Shakespeare, owned by the royal Paintings at Hampton Court Palace. Mr. Cooper family of Great Britain; the so-called "Janssen" also made most of the panchromatic negatives Sh1kespeare, owned by the Folger Shakespeare required on the British paintings of Lord Oxford Library of Washington, D. C.; and the Ashbourne and "Shakespeare." His advisory supervisor in Shakespeare, also a Folger Library acquisition, making infra-red exposures was Dr. S. 0. Rawling, Mr. Barrell was obliged by exigencies of space to F.R.P.S., of the !!ford Research Laboratories, one confine his Scientific American article to a report of the world's authorities on infra-red photog­ of research on the Ashbourne canvas. Although raphy. his X-ray and photographic analysis of this pic­ ture embraces twenty-five plates, only eighteen Working under Mr. Barrell's supervision, these could be published in the magazine. experts have all contributed materially to the technical success of the investigation. The sub­ Arrangements are now being made to publish sidiary research, which required some two years the complete narrative of the pictorial discoveries for completion, was carried out by Mr. Barrell in book form during the coming months. Alto­ in Washington and New York, with Mr. Percy gether, the dissective studies and comparative Allen of London contributing valuable items photographs taken by Mr. Barrell and his tech­ transcribed from documents in the College of nical associates embrace about seventy-five ex­ Heralds and the British Museum. Special photo­ posures. These cover the three ancient Shake­ graphic studies were also made for Mr. Barrell - speare portraits and the on! y two inscribed paint­ at Oxford and Wolverhampton, Staffordshire. ings of the 17th Earl of Oxford known to exist today, one dated 1575 and owned by the Duke of Of the two thousand or more newspapers in Portland at Welbeck Abbey, the other ascribed the United States and Canada that carried the to Marcus Gheeraedts the Younger and owned by Associated Press digest of the Oxford-Shakespeare the Duke of St. Albans at Bestwood Lodge. Repre­ portrait discoveries, many featured it on the sentatives of both of these noblemen have co­ front page. Associated Press representatives also operated very cordially with Mr. Barrell in the called on well-known Stratfordian authorities at course of his studies. leading American universities and elsewhere for expressions of opinion regarding the evidences of The technicians employed by Mr. Barrell to Lord Oxford's personality in the ancient paint­ assist in the investigation included: ings. But none of the eminent experts interviewed Mr. Arthur G. Eldredge, former Professor of could give any coherent explanation of the strange Photography at the University of Illinois. Mr. transformations that science had brought to light. Eldredge is recognized as one of the ablest of "Absurd!" or "I don't believe it!" or "There American photographers. He is especially skilled must be some mistake - I never heard of the Earl in the science of reproducing paintings, having of Oxford!" were the usual comments. Needless been employed by the late J. Pierpont Morgan to to say, such expressions, bearing witness to the illustrate the famous connoisseur's luxurious vol­ emotional reaction of high authority rather than ume, Notable Paintings in American Collections, rational consideration of the evidence on its own as well as his Book of Chess. Lately Mr. Eldredge merits, could not be handled by the Associated made the photographs for Booth Tarkington's Press editors. Some Old Portraits. In the fine calculations re­ quired to balance light, focus and length of ex­ Although six weeks have passed since the first posure, Mr. Eldredge has no American superior. news story was released, no Stratfordian expert He also understands the secrets of infra-red ex­ has come forward as yet to offer any reasonable posure and development - a difficult branch of refutation of Mr. Barrell's pictorial conclusions. photography to master, as applied to the dissection Meanwhile, there have been many follow-up of paintings. newspaper items and articles on the Scientific X-ray work on the "Janssen" and Ashbourne American story, with editorial writers, columnists, pictures was carried out in Washington at the book-reviewers and dramatic critics featuring the National X-Ray Laboratories, and in London the portrait discoveries as one of the livest topics of 4 NE WS-LETTER the times, despite the superabundance of war Walter Winchell also broke the news in his news. typically breezy style in the column that now During one week, three New York dailies, enjoys the widest syndicated coverage. The Post, The New York Times and The Sun · William Shakespeare's real name was Ed­ treated the subject editorially. The Sun editorial, ward de Vere ... Walter whispered ... a most interesting tribute to the Barrell findings, Charles Wisner Barrell, American secretary is reproduced in full at the conclusion of this of the Shakespeare Fellowship, will so allege narrative. in the January Scientific American, due The Christian Science Monitor gave liberal December 20th. Bill, it appears, was the space in two issues to the investigation. On 17th Earl of Oxford and Lord Chamberlain December 21st, 22nd and 23rd, The Cleveland of England under Queen Liz. For the first Plain Dealer published a three-part discussion time in history scientific tools - infra-red by Harlowe R.Hoyt, under the general heading: photography and the X-ray - were employed "So Edward de Vere Wrote Shakespeare?" Mr. by Barrell to probe the true personality of Hoyt covered the main points in the Oxford­ the Bard.