Folger Shakespeare Library

Folger Shakespeare Library. The Folger Shakespeare Library is a renowned research library and museum located in Washington, D.C., founded by Henry Clay Folger and Emily Jordan Folger in 1932. It is home to the world's largest collection of William Shakespeare's works, including First Folio and Second Folio editions, as well as other rare Elizabethan and Jacobean materials, such as those by Christopher Marlowe and Ben Jonson. The library is also a leading center for Shakespearean scholarship, hosting numerous events and exhibitions in collaboration with institutions like the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company.

History

The Folger Shakespeare Library was established in 1932, with a founding collection of over 10,000 rare books and manuscripts, including works by William Shakespeare, John Donne, and John Milton. The library's founders, Henry Clay Folger and Emily Jordan Folger, were Harvard University alumni and Shakespeare enthusiasts who amassed their collection over several decades, often in consultation with Sotheby's and other prominent auction houses. The library's early years were marked by significant acquisitions, including the purchase of the Huth Library and the Ashton Collection, which added thousands of rare books and manuscripts to the library's holdings, including works by Geoffrey Chaucer and Edmund Spenser. The library has since become a major hub for Shakespearean research, attracting scholars from institutions like Oxford University, Cambridge University, and the University of London.

Collections

The Folger Shakespeare Library's collections are unparalleled in their scope and depth, with over 60,000 rare books, 100,000 manuscripts, and 200,000 artworks and artifacts, including works by Rembrandt van Rijn and Peter Paul Rubens. The library's Shakespeare Collection is the largest and most comprehensive in the world, with over 200 copies of the First Folio and numerous quartos and octavos of Shakespeare's plays, as well as works by Robert Burton and Thomas Nashe. The library also holds significant collections of English literature, including works by Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and the Brontë sisters, as well as American literature, with works by Edgar Allan Poe, Herman Melville, and Mark Twain. The library's manuscript collections include letters and papers of notable figures like Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson, as well as diplomatic correspondence from the Treaty of Versailles and the Congress of Vienna.

Exhibitions

The Folger Shakespeare Library hosts a range of exhibitions throughout the year, showcasing its vast collections and exploring topics like Shakespeare's life and times, the history of the book, and the cultural context of Elizabethan England, with collaborations with institutions like the British Library and the National Gallery of Art. Recent exhibitions have included "Shakespeare's Theatres", "The Lost Plays of Shakespeare", and "Will & Jane", which explored the connections between William Shakespeare and Jane Austen, as well as Mary Shelley and Percy Bysshe Shelley. The library also participates in international exhibitions, such as the Venice Biennale and the London Book Fair, and has loaned items to institutions like the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the National Museum of Women in the Arts.

Programs

The Folger Shakespeare Library offers a range of programs and events for scholars, students, and the general public, including lectures, seminars, and workshops on topics like Shakespearean scholarship, book history, and literary criticism, with speakers from institutions like Yale University, Stanford University, and the University of California, Berkeley. The library also hosts performances and readings of Shakespeare's plays, as well as other classical works, in collaboration with companies like the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Globe Theatre. The library's Fellowship Program supports scholars from institutions like Harvard University, University of Oxford, and University of Cambridge in their research, and the library also offers internships and fellowships for students and young scholars, with partnerships with organizations like the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

Building and Gardens

The Folger Shakespeare Library's building, designed by Paul Philippe Cret, is a striking example of Neoclassical architecture, with a reading room that features a vaulted ceiling and marble columns, inspired by the Library of Congress and the British Museum. The library's gardens, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., feature a range of plants and flowers that were popular in Elizabethan England, including roses, lavender, and herbs, and offer a peaceful oasis in the heart of Washington, D.C., with views of the United States Capitol and the Supreme Court of the United States. The library's theater, which hosts performances and readings, is a recreation of a 17th-century English playhouse, with a thrust stage and galleries, inspired by the Globe Theatre and the Rose Theatre. The building and gardens are a popular destination for tourists and scholars alike, and offer a unique glimpse into the world of Shakespeare and Elizabethan England, with connections to institutions like the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and the Royal Shakespeare Company.