Folger Shakespeare Library

Folger Shakespeare Library
Name	Folger Shakespeare Library
Established	1932
Location	Washington, D.C.
Type	Library and research center
Collection	Rare books, manuscripts, early printed materials, theatrical artifacts
Founder	Henry Clay Folger and Emily Jordan Folger
Director	Michael Witmore

Folger Shakespeare Library The Folger Shakespeare Library is a research library and cultural institution in Washington, D.C., founded to preserve and study the works of William Shakespeare and the early modern period. It houses one of the world’s largest collections of Shakespearean texts and related materials, supports scholarly research, and presents public exhibitions and performances. The institution plays a prominent role in Shakespeare studies, bibliographical scholarship, and the preservation of early modern English drama.

History

The library was established through the patronage of oil magnate and collector Henry Clay Folger and philanthropist Emily Jordan Folger, who amassed books and manuscripts in the late 19th and early 20th centuries influenced by collectors such as J. Pierpont Morgan and bibliophiles like A. Edward Newton and John Carter (bibliographer). The trustees selected an urban site near Capitol Hill to place the collection in proximity to repositories such as the Library of Congress and the National Archives and Records Administration. The building opened in 1932, during the administration of Herbert Hoover, with support from cultural figures including Henry Adams and advisors from institutions like Princeton University and Yale University. Over the decades the institution expanded its holdings through gifts and purchases from collectors including E. P. Goldschmidt and sales from British dealers in the wake of interwar dispersals tied to estates associated with families like the Arbuthnot family. The library navigated wartime constraints during World War II and adapted to late 20th-century developments in librarianship at the time of directors who collaborated with scholars from Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of California, Los Angeles.

Collections

The collections foreground early modern drama and literary production, featuring numerous copies of the First Folio of William Shakespeare, quartos associated with actors such as Edward Kynaston, and manuscripts linked to playwrights including Ben Jonson, Christopher Marlowe, and John Fletcher. Holdings range from incunabula and sixteenth-century imprints to seventeenth-century correspondence and papers of collectors like Rothschild family descendants. The archive includes theatrical ephemera related to companies such as the King’s Men and artifacts connected to performers like David Garrick, Sarah Siddons, and Edmund Kean. Special collections comprise civic and political items tied to patrons such as Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester and documents concerning figures like Elizabeth I and James VI and I. The library also houses prints and portraits of individuals including Nicholas Hilliard subjects, maps used in early modern voyages linked to Sir Francis Drake, and music prints associated with composers such as Thomas Morley and William Byrd. Provenance records cite transactions involving dealers like Bernard Quaritch and collectors such as Henry E. Huntington.

Building and Architecture

Designed by architect Paul Cret with input from sculptors and craftsmen connected to the Beaux-Arts tradition, the building combines Renaissance and neo-Georgian motifs and was sited near landmarks such as the United States Capitol and the Folger Park vicinity. The reading room’s timber trusses and stained glass draw from precedents including the Bodleian Library and the Wren Library, with stone carving by artisans who had worked on projects for institutions like Princeton University and Yale University campuses. Renovations in the 1970s and a major expansion in the 21st century involved architects and conservators with experience at sites such as the British Library and the Vatican Library, integrating climate control systems and secure storage modeled on standards from the Smithsonian Institution and archival practices promoted by the Society of American Archivists.

Research and Programs

The institution sponsors fellowships and scholarly projects that attract researchers from universities such as Harvard University, Stanford University, University of Chicago, Columbia University, and international centers like King’s College London and University of Edinburgh. Programs include textual editing initiatives comparable to projects at the Early English Books Online consortium and collaborative ventures with digital humanities labs at MIT and Princeton University. Resident research fellows work on issues ranging from bibliography and paleography to performance history involving companies like the Adler Fellows and methodologies inspired by scholars from Stratford-upon-Avon studies and institutes such as the Folger Institute-style seminars. The library publishes scholarly editions and journals and partners with presses including Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press for monographs and critical editions.

Exhibitions and Public Programs

Exhibitions highlight materials from the collections alongside loans from institutions such as the British Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Morgan Library & Museum. Public programming encompasses staged readings, educational workshops for teachers affiliated with National Council of Teachers of English, and performances involving companies like Shakespeare Theatre Company and academic ensembles from Royal Shakespeare Company participants. Outreach efforts include teacher institutes modeled on practices from the American Shakespeare Center and family programs coordinated with the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Major exhibitions have showcased artifacts relating to figures such as William Shakespeare, Anne Hathaway, and theatrical impresarios like Philip Henslowe.

Governance and Funding

Governance is overseen by a board of trustees drawn from leaders in finance, academia, and cultural institutions including alumni and donors associated with Chase Bank, Bank of America, and foundations like the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. Funding streams combine endowment income seeded by the Folgers with grants from agencies such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and partnerships with universities like Georgetown University and corporate supporters tied to AT&T and ExxonMobil in past campaigns. The library’s financial stewardship follows nonprofit best practices advocated by organizations including Council on Foundations and auditing norms aligned with the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Category:Libraries in Washington, D.C.