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Folger Shakespeare LibraryEdit

The Folger Shakespeare Library is a major research library and cultural center located in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Washington, D.C. It is devoted to William Shakespeare and the broader field of early modern English literature. Founded by Henry Clay Folger and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger, the institution opened in 1932 with a mission to preserve, study, and publicize Shakespeare’s works and their historical context. Its holdings are renowned as the world’s most comprehensive collection of Shakespeare-related materials, spanning editions, manuscripts, performance documents, and related literature from the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras to contemporary scholarship. The library supports scholars, students, educators, and the general public through exhibitions, lectures, and performances, making Shakespeare’s world accessible to a wide audience. William Shakespeare Henry Clay Folger Emily Jordan Folger First Folio

History

The Folger family began assembling a dedicated collection of Shakespeare materials in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with the aim of creating a centralized resource for serious study of the playwright and his era. After Henry Clay Folger’s death, his wife Emily Jordan Folger oversaw the creation of a permanent institution that would house and expand the collection. The library’s building in Washington, D.C., opened in 1932 and established a national center for Shakespeare scholarship, performance history, and public engagement with the material culture surrounding early modern drama. Over the decades, the Folger has grown through careful acquisitions, partnerships, and digitization initiatives, reinforcing its role as a leading hub for research on Shakespeare and the broader literary culture of his time. Henry Clay Folger Emily Jordan Folger Washington, D.C. Elizabethan era Jacobean era

Collections

  • Core holdings center on Shakespeare, including the renowned First Folio of 1623 and a wide array of early editions, quartos, and contemporary scholarly editions. The collection is complemented by extensive manuscript material, letters, theater documents, and visual sources that illuminate the staging, publication, and reception of Shakespeare’s works. The Folger emphasizes material from the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods as well as modern critical and performative scholarship. First Folio Shakespeare Theatre Elizabethan era Jacobean era

  • The library maintains one of the world’s largest repositories of Shakespeare-related artifacts, including promptbooks, actors’ materials, playbills, and other archival items that reveal how plays were produced and circulated on stage. In addition to the Shakespeare core, the collections span related authors, periods, and topics in early modern drama, poetry, history, and translation. The Folger also hosts a robust program of digital access, with a considerable portion of its holdings available through the Folger Digital Image Collection and related online resources. Promptbook Theatre Folger Digital Image Collection

  • Public-facing resources include exhibitions, curated displays, and online catalogs that translate scholarly work into accessible material for general audiences while maintaining rigorous scholarly standards. The library’s collections are used by researchers from around the world and by practitioners in theater and education. Exhibitions Shakespeare scholarship

Programs and Public Engagement

  • The Folger Shakespeare Library operates a dynamic program of public events, including lectures, symposia, and performances that connect Shakespeare’s texts to contemporary life and practice. The institution collaborates with theater groups, educational institutions, and cultural partners to bring Shakespeare to diverse audiences. Folger Theatre Folger Consort Shakespeare performance

  • The Folger Theatre presents contemporary productions and new interpretations of Shakespeare’s plays, often informed by the library’s scholarship and rare-book holdings. The Folger Consort offers early music performances that situate Shakespearean drama within its musical culture and historical context. Together, these programs blend scholarship, performance, and education. Folger Theatre Folger Consort Early music

  • Educational initiatives extend to teachers and students, with classroom resources, study guides, and field trips that leverage the library’s collections to teach literary history, performance, and critical thinking. Education Shakespeare education

Architecture and Site

  • The Folger is situated on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., with buildings and spaces designed to house reading rooms, exhibition galleries, performance venues, and a comprehensive conservation program. The campus environment invites visitors to engage with Shakespearean and early modern materials in a setting that supports research, exhibitions, and public programming. Capitol Hill Architecture

Governance and Funding

  • The Folger Shakespeare Library operates as a private, nonprofit institution funded through a combination of endowment income, donations, grants, and program revenue. It is governed by a board of trustees and professional staff who oversee acquisitions, conservation, public programs, and scholarly collaboration. The library maintains partnerships with universities, museums, and cultural organizations to advance research and public engagement with the Shakespearean corpus. Henry Clay Folger Emily Jordan Folger Philanthropy

See also