The Folger’s collection is vast and varied, including printed books; manuscripts; prints, drawings, photographs, paintings, and other works of art; and a wealth of performance history, from playbills to films, recordings, and stage costumes.
In addition to the rare material collection, the Folger holds a collection of over 100,000 monographs, periodicals, and electronic resources published between the 1830s and the present, related to the understanding and interpretation of Shakespeare, his works and impact, and to the early modern world.
Printed Books
Manuscripts
Works of Art
Performance History
History of the collection
Henry Clay Folger and his wife, Emily Jordan Folger, began amassing the collection of rare books that would become the Folger Shakespeare Library in 1889. They spent decades gathering the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, as well as associated works from Shakespeare’s time. The Library itself opened in 1932, and continues to expand its holdings today.
Caring for our collections
Related blog posts
Explore some of the scholarly work being done with, in, and around our collections.
Actors Ellen Terry, Henry Irving, and Victorian Shakespeare
Henry Irving and Ellen Terry were beloved for their Shakespeare performances, whether at London’s Lyceum Theater or on tour. New additions to the Folger collection show the acclaimed artists at work and play in Victorian England.
The Untold History of Black Africans in Renaissance Europe
In his groundbreaking documentary, We Were Here, Folger Fellow Fred Kuwornu shares the diverse African presence in Renaissance Europe—princes, ambassadors, saints, artists, scholars, and knights—all revealed through art from the period.
"A mote it is to trouble the mind's eye": An Unnamed Fairy in 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'
This solution to February’s Folger Mystery looks at how editors of A Midsummer Night’s Dream have dealt with the ambiguous presence of one its fairies.
The Boydell Shakespeare Gallery
In 1789, John Boydell opened a London gallery of paintings of Shakespeare scenes. It became a sensation, transforming Shakespeare into a national icon and elevating public art. Rosie Dias and Michael Dobson discuss its rise and fall.
Lingua Latina Medica Accessabilis Facta, or, Medical Latin Made Accessible
Lingua Latina Medica Accessabilis Facta, vel Febrem Habeo et Præscriptio Sola Campanæ Bovinæ Plus Est or Medical Latin Made Accessible, or I Have a Fever and the Only Prescription is More (of) Cow Bell. A look into John Ward’s Latin list, a glossary of the medical Latin terms used by the 17th century vicar in his diaries.