Folger Shakespeare Library

The Folger Shakespeare Library is an independent research library located on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., United States. It holds the world's largest collection of printed works by William Shakespeare and many rare items from the early modern period between 1500 and 1750 in Britain and Europe. The library was created by Henry Clay Folger and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger, and opened its doors in 1932, two years after Mr. Folger's passing.

The Folger offers special programs for students and teachers, helping people learn more about Shakespeare. The library also hosts many events, such as plays at the Folger Theatre, music performances by the Folger Consort, poetry readings, and many exhibitions and talks. It produces books and journals, including the journal Shakespeare Quarterly and teacher guides called Shakespeare Set Free.

The Folger Shakespeare Library is supported financially and managed by the Trustees of Amherst College. The beautiful library building is recognized as important and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It plays a big role in protecting and sharing rare and valuable historical materials.

History

Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger loved collecting books about William Shakespeare. Henry began collecting these books in 1889 and kept adding more over the years. After World War I, they decided to build a special library to hold their collection. They chose a spot near the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and bought many buildings there to make space.

The library's cornerstone was placed in May 1930, but Henry sadly passed away not long after. His wife Emily helped finish the library, and it opened on April 23, 1932, which is thought to be Shakespeare’s birthday. The library has grown to include many special events and programs, like theater performances and poetry readings, started in the 1970s.

Buildings and grounds

The main building of the Folger Shakespeare Library was designed by architect Paul Philippe Cret. Its white marble outside shows nine carved scenes from Shakespeare's plays, made by sculptor John Gregory. Inside, the building looks like an old English home with wooden walls and painted ceilings. Visitors can enjoy a large gallery, a gift shop, and an Elizabethan theatre.

Henry Folger first hired Alexander B. Trowbridge to help design the library, but Trowbridge suggested Paul Philippe Cret as the main architect. They decided on a style that mixed old English design with classic looks to match other buildings nearby. The outside features scenes from Shakespeare's famous plays. In 1959, a new wing was added, and in 2000, another building called the Haskell Center opened. The Folger also has houses for visiting scholars and readers.

The Reading Room opened in 1933 and has books easy for readers to find. It was renewed between 1977 and 1983, and a modern reading room was added in 1982. The room has special windows and a big stone fireplace that has never been used. One window shows a famous speech from As You Like It.

The Elizabethan Theatre was not meant for plays at first but later became a stage. The first play there was Julius Caesar in 1949. The theatre can hold about 260 people and has a painted ceiling with words from As You Like It.

There is also an Elizabethan Garden with plants from Shakespeare's plays, and a west garden with a statue of Puck. The library closed for big updates from 2018 to 2024 and reopened in June 2024 with new learning spaces, exhibits, gardens, and a cafe called Quill & Crumb.

Library

The Folger Shakespeare Library has the world's largest collection of materials related to William Shakespeare, from the 16th century to today. It is most famous for having 82 copies of the 1623 First Folio—the first published collection of Shakespeare's plays—and over 200 early printed versions of his individual plays, called quartos.

The library also has many other important books and items. It owns the third largest collection of English books printed before 1641 and has many books from Europe as well. You can find playbills, old scripts, costumes, and even artwork connected to Shakespeare’s plays. The library’s collection includes over 250,000 books, beautiful handwritten documents from famous people, and many special items that help us learn about life in the past.

Main article: Library science

Research and education

The Folger Shakespeare Library offers special programs for students, teachers, and scholars. The Folger Institute helps advanced researchers with fellowships and holds classes, workshops, and meetings for teachers and students. It also works with many universities and has centers for studying Shakespeare and British history.

The Education department supports learning about Shakespeare for students and teachers from elementary through high school. Teachers can attend special programs at the Folger to learn new ways to teach Shakespeare. Students can join workshops, special projects, and festivals where they perform scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. There is also a summer program called the Teaching Shakespeare Institute for middle and high school teachers, where they study Shakespeare’s works with experts.

Performances and events

The Folger Shakespeare Library offers many cultural and arts programs. These include the Folger Theatre, Folger Consort, the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, and the PEN/Faulkner Foundation. The library also hosts talks, screenings, lectures, and exhibitions.

Folger Theatre

The Folger Theatre puts on plays inspired by William Shakespeare, including his famous works and new plays influenced by them. Since 1992, the theatre has performed over half of the plays in Shakespeare's First Folio. The theatre has received many awards, including Outstanding Resident Play for Measure for Measure in 2007, Hamlet in 2011, and The Taming of the Shrew in 2013. Performances take place in the theatre located at the east end of the building.

Folger Consort

The Folger Consort is the library’s early music group, founded in 1977. The Consort performs medieval, Renaissance, and baroque music. They have concerts at the Elizabethan Theatre, the Washington National Cathedral, and the Music Center at Strathmore. The Consort also holds talks, discussions, and radio broadcasts. They have won several awards for being one of the best classical chamber ensembles in the area.

O.B. Hardison Poetry Series

Since 1970, the Folger has invited famous poets to read their work, talk, and answer questions. This series is named after O.B. Hardison Jr., a former director of the Folger. Many well-known poets have taken part, including Octavio Paz, Gwendolyn Brooks, Allen Ginsberg, W. S. Merwin, Adrienne Rich, and Rita Dove, among others.

PEN/Faulkner

Together with the PEN/Faulkner Foundation, the Folger holds the PEN/Faulkner Reading Series. This brings contemporary authors to the library for public readings of their fiction. The Folger also hosts the annual PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction readings to celebrate the year’s best fiction writers.

Digital resources

The Folger Shakespeare Library offers several helpful online tools for learning and research. These include a big collection of over 80,000 images of books, art, and old papers, which anyone can use under a special sharing rule. There is also a wiki called Folgerpedia that shares facts about the library and its collections. You can read all of Shakespeare’s plays and poems online, and there is a place to see and help write about old letters and papers from history.

Leadership

The Folger Shakespeare Library has had seven directors and three acting directors who have helped manage the library.

Michael Witmore became the seventh director in 2011. He is a scholar who studies Shakespeare’s texts using digital tools. The library’s directors have included people like Joseph Quincy Adams, Louis Booker Wright, and Werner Gundersheimer, among others. The current director is Dr. Farah Karim Cooper, who began in 2024.