Furness Shakespeare Library

Furness Shakespeare Library is a premier special collection dedicated to the study of William Shakespeare and the broader context of English Renaissance theatre. Housed within the University of Pennsylvania Libraries system in Philadelphia, it is one of the world's most significant repositories of Shakespeareana. The library's extensive holdings support advanced scholarly research in fields such as textual criticism, theatre history, and literary criticism.

History

The library was founded in 1932 through a bequest from Horace Howard Furness, a preeminent American Shakespearean scholar of the Victorian era, and his son, Horace Howard Furness Jr.. The elder Furness was the editor of the landmark New Variorum Shakespeare series, a comprehensive scholarly edition that compiled centuries of critical commentary and textual variants. His personal collection, which formed the library's core, was built upon acquisitions from other notable collectors, including the libraries of his own working library and items from the estate of James Orchard Halliwell-Phillipps. Throughout the 20th century, its collections were expanded under the stewardship of the University of Pennsylvania, with significant additions like the John F. Fleming collection of Shakespeare quartos and folios.

Collections

The library's collections encompass approximately 25,000 volumes, featuring exceptional depth in early printed editions. Its crown jewels include numerous copies of the First Folio, the Second Folio, and a nearly complete set of the prized Shakespeare quartos. Beyond these, the holdings extend to rare works by Shakespeare's contemporaries like Christopher Marlowe, Ben Jonson, and John Webster, as well as extensive materials on Elizabethan era social history, paleography, and the history of the book. The collection also contains Furness's own working papers for the New Variorum Shakespeare, a rich archive of 19th-century Shakespearean criticism, and related artifacts such as theatre memorabilia and artwork inspired by Shakespeare's plays.

Building and location

The library is located within the Charles Patterson Van Pelt Library, the main humanities and social sciences library of the University of Pennsylvania. It occupies a dedicated, climate-controlled space designed to preserve its rare and fragile materials. The reading room and stacks are situated on the sixth floor of Van Pelt Library, providing researchers with direct access to the broader resources of the University of Pennsylvania Libraries system. Its location in West Philadelphia places it within a major academic hub near other renowned institutions like the Free Library of Philadelphia and the American Philosophical Society.

Significance and use

It is internationally recognized as a vital research center for Shakespeare studies and early modern English literature. Scholars from around the world consult its collections for projects involving textual editing, performance history, and reception studies. The library actively supports the academic mission of the University of Pennsylvania, serving faculty and students in departments such as English literature, Comparative literature, and Theatre Arts. It also fosters public engagement through occasional exhibitions, lectures, and collaborations with entities like the Philadelphia Shakespeare Theatre, contributing to the cultural landscape of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Administration and access

The library is administered as part of the Kislak Center for Special Collections, Rare Books and Manuscripts within the University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Its operations are overseen by curators and specialists in early modern books and manuscripts. Access is granted to researchers by appointment, in accordance with standard protocols for handling rare books and archival materials. While the non-circulating collection is primarily for on-site use, many catalog records are accessible digitally through the university's library system, and selected materials have been digitized in partnership with initiatives like the Penn in Hand digital manuscript project.

Category:Shakespeareana Category:University of Pennsylvania Category:Libraries in Philadelphia Category:Special collections libraries in the United States