Folger Shakespeare Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Folger Shakespeare Library |
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| The Folger Shakespeare Library reading room with one of Shakespeare's First Folios in the foreground | |
| Country | United States |
| Type | Private Research library Special library |
| Scope | Early modern Europe, Shakespeare |
| Established | 1932 |
| Location | Washington, D.C. |
| Coordinates | 38°53′22″N 77°0′11″W / 38.88944°N 77.00306°W |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Shakespeare-related materials, rare books, manuscripts, prints, drawings, playbills, paintings |
| Other information | |
| Director | Michael Witmore |
The Folger Shakespeare Library is a special research library located in Washington, D.C., United States. It holds the world's largest collection of William Shakespeare's printed works. It's also a main place for rare items from the early modern period (1500–1750) in Britain and Europe.
Henry Clay Folger and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger, created this library. It opened in 1932, two years after Henry's death. The library offers programs for advanced scholars and helps teachers across the country learn about Shakespeare.
The Folger also has many public events. These include the Folger Theatre, which performs Shakespeare-inspired plays. The Folger Consort plays early music. There are also poetry readings, book events, exhibits, and family programs. The library publishes Shakespeare's plays and a journal called Shakespeare Quarterly. It is also very good at taking care of rare materials.
The library is a private organization. It is managed by Amherst College. The library building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Contents
History of the Folger Library
Henry Clay Folger loved collecting things about Shakespeare. He started in 1889 by buying a 1685 Fourth Folio. During World War I, he and his wife Emily Jordan Folger looked for a place for their Shakespeare collection. They chose a spot next to the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.
Henry Folger spent years buying the land. In 1928, Congress allowed the land to be used for his library. The first stone of the library was placed in May 1930. Henry Folger died soon after. He left most of his money in a special fund for the library. Amherst College became its manager.
Because of the Wall Street Crash of 1929, Henry's money was less than he planned. But it was still a lot. Emily Folger, who helped with the collection, gave money to finish the building. The library opened on April 23, 1932. This date is thought to be Shakespeare's birthday. Emily Folger helped manage the library until she died in 1936.
During World War II, 30,000 items from the Folger were moved. They were stored safely at Amherst College. This was done in case Washington, D.C., was attacked. Many of the Folger's public programs started in the 1970s. This was under the leadership of director O.B. Hardison.
Buildings and Gardens
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The main Folger building was designed by Paul Philippe Cret. Its white marble outside has nine carvings of scenes from Shakespeare's plays. These were made by John Gregory. There is also an aluminum copy of a statue of Puck by Brenda Putnam. Many sayings chosen by Henry Folger are also carved on the building.
Inside, the building looks like an old English house. It has oak walls and plaster ceilings. The Elizabethan Theatre lobby has the original Puck statue. Public areas include a large exhibit gallery, a gift shop, and an Elizabethan theatre.
Building Design
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Henry Folger wanted a special design for his library. He chose Paul Phillippe Cret as the main architect. Cret designed a building that looked classic but was simpler. The Folgers wanted an Elizabethan style. So, Cret added carvings of Shakespeare scenes to the outside. These carvings show scenes from plays like Hamlet, Macbeth, and Romeo and Juliet.
In 1959, a new part was added to the library. It included a roof garden. In 2000, a second building called the Haskell Center opened. It holds the library's education and public programs. The Folger also has townhouses nearby. These provide housing for visiting scholars and researchers.
Reading Rooms
The main Reading Room opened in 1933. It holds reference books for scholars. In the early 1980s, the library was updated. A second, more modern reading room was added in 1982. The original reading room was renamed the Gail Kern Paster Reading Room in 2011. This was to honor a former director.
Henry Folger wanted the reading room to feel like a cozy home and a grand English college hall. It has stained-glass windows and a large stone fireplace. The main stained-glass window shows the "Seven Ages of Man" speech from Shakespeare's play As You Like It.
Elizabethan Theatre
The Elizabethan Theatre was not first meant for plays. It was designed to show visitors what an Elizabethan theater looked like. Before plays started, it was used for concerts and talks. The theater seats about 260 people. On the ceiling, a famous quote from As You Like It is painted: "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players."
The first play performed there was Julius Caesar in 1949. The Folger Theatre Group started in 1970. This was when the theater met fire safety rules.
Elizabethan Garden
At the east side of the building is an Elizabethan Garden. It has plants mentioned in Shakespeare's plays. It opened in 1989. Sculptures by Greg Wyatt based on Shakespeare's plays were added in 2003.
West Garden
A sculptor named Brenda Putnam created a statue of Puck for the west garden. After many years, the original statue was moved inside for protection. An aluminum copy now stands in the garden.
Library Collection
What the Folger Collects
The Folger has the world's largest collection of items related to Shakespeare. These items range from the 16th century to today. The library is famous for its 82 copies of the 1623 First Folio. Only 235 copies of this book are known to exist. It also has over 200 early editions of Shakespeare's plays.
The Folger also owns many other old English books printed before 1641. It has a large collection of items about theater history. This includes 250,000 playbills and 2,000 promptbooks. It also holds over 90,000 paintings, prints, drawings, and other artworks.
The library started cataloging its collection in 1935. In 1996, the Folger created an online catalog called Hamnet. This allowed staff and readers to search the collection. It became public in 2000.
Printed Books
The library has more than 250,000 books. These books date from the mid-15th century, when the printing press was invented, to today. Besides its 82 First Folios, it has 229 early editions of Shakespeare's plays and poems. It also has 119 copies of the Second, Third, and Fourth Folios. The Folger holds about 7,000 later editions of Shakespeare's works. These are in over 70 different languages.
The collection also includes over 18,000 early English books printed before 1640. Another 29,000 books were printed between 1641 and 1700. The library has 35,000 early modern books from Europe. About 450 of these are incunabula (books printed before 1501). These books cover many topics. They include literature, politics, religion, and medicine.
Manuscripts
The Folger has about 60,000 manuscripts. These are handwritten documents. They date from the 15th to the 21st century. They cover many subjects. These include theater history, personal letters, and daily life items.
One important manuscript is the Macro Manuscript. It has the earliest known stage diagram in England. The Folger also hosts Early Modern Manuscripts Online (EMMO). This project puts digital copies of 16th and 17th-century English manuscripts online for free.
Collection Highlights
Some important items in the Folger's collection are:
- The only complete copy of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus first edition from 1594.
- The False Folio.
- The Macro Manuscript, which has early morality plays and the earliest known stage diagram in England.
- The Dering Manuscript, the earliest known handwritten copy of any of Shakespeare's works.
- Henry VIII's childhood copy of Cicero's De officiis. It has his own writing, "Thys boke is myne Prynce Henry."
- The Trevelyon Miscellany of 1608. This is a large illustrated manuscript with 594 pages.
- The earliest Sieve Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I.
- Thirteen letters from John Donne about his personal struggles.
- Thousands of letters from the famous 18th-century actor David Garrick.
Research and Education
The Folger offers programs for students and teachers. The Folger Institute helps advanced scholars. The Education department works with K–12 teachers and students.
Folger Institute
The Folger Institute has been a center for scholarly research since 1970. It offers fellowships for researchers. It also hosts a program for college students every January. The Institute holds workshops and conferences for teachers and students. It also works with over 40 universities to share research.
Education Programs
The Folger Education department has many programs for K–12 students and teachers. These programs help students learn about Shakespeare in an active way. Teachers come to the Folger for programs to learn how to use Shakespeare and performance in their classrooms.
Student programs include workshops and a high school fellowship. The Emily Jordan Folger Children's Shakespeare Festival started in 1980. It lets elementary students perform every spring. The Secondary School Shakespeare Festival brings older students to perform Shakespeare scenes.
Teaching Shakespeare Institute
The Teaching Shakespeare Institute (TSI) is a four-week summer program. It is for middle and high school teachers. The National Endowment for the Humanities helps fund it. Teachers work with experts to study Shakespeare's plays. They learn about the plays, how to perform them, and how to teach them. Over 775 teachers have completed this program by 2015.
Performances and Events
The Folger Shakespeare Library has many cultural and arts programs. These include the Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, and poetry readings.
Folger Theatre
The Folger Theatre performs plays inspired by Shakespeare. This includes Shakespeare's own works and new plays. Since 1992, the Folger Theatre has performed over half of the plays in Shakespeare's First Folio. Their plays have won many awards. Performances happen in the theater at the east end of the building.
Folger Consort
Folger Consort is the library's group that plays early music. It was started in 1977. The Consort plays medieval music, Renaissance music, and baroque music. They perform at the Elizabethan Theatre and other places. The Consort also holds talks and radio shows. They have won awards for Best Classical Chamber Ensemble many times.
O.B. Hardison Poetry Series
Since 1970, the Folger has hosted modern poets. They give readings and have discussions. This is called the O.B. Hardison Poetry series. Many famous poets have been part of this series.
PEN/Faulkner Reading Series
The Folger also hosts the PEN/Faulkner Reading Series. This brings modern authors to read their fiction to the public. The Folger also hosts the yearly PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction readings. These celebrate the year's best fiction writers.
Digital Resources
The Folger offers several online tools for research:
- The Digital Image Collection (LUNA): This has over 80,000 images from the collection. It includes manuscripts, books, and art. These images can be used freely.
- Folgerpedia: This is the Folger's own wiki. It has information about the library and its collection.
- "All Shakespeare's works": Online versions of Shakespeare's plays and poems.
- Early Modern Manuscripts Online: Images of manuscripts and help with reading old handwriting.
Leadership
The Folger Library has had several directors. Michael Witmore became the seventh director on July 1, 2011. He is a scholar who uses digital tools to study Shakespeare's texts.
- William A. Slade (1931–1934)
- Joseph Quincy Adams (1934–1936, acting; 1936–1946, director)
- James McManaway (1946–1948, acting)
- Louis Booker Wright (1948–1968)
- Philip A. Knachel (1968–1969, acting)
- O.B. Hardison Jr. (1969–1983)
- Philip A. Knachel (1983–1984, acting)
- Werner Gundersheimer (1984–2002)
- Gail Kern Paster (2002–2011)
- Michael Witmore (2011–present)
See also
- Book collecting
