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The Collation

The Collation

Research and Exploration at the Folger

The Collation is a gathering of useful information and observations from Folger staff and researchers. Read more about this blog

Let there be light! Kliegl lights on the New York Stage
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Let there be light! Kliegl lights on the New York Stage

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Author
Abbie Weinberg

Once again, I seem to have underestimated the level of esoteric knowledge held by our readers. Y’all are delightful (and I’m guessing have worked technical theater at some point…). Yes, yes, indeed. The Crocodile Mystery posted last week does seem…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: December 2019
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: December 2019

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The Collation

Welcome to the final Crocodile Mystery of 2019! As we close out the year (and the decade!), we invite you to look at the image below and tell us, if you can, what on earth it’s talking about?! Leave your…

Stuff in Books: a conundrum
Folger 265255
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Stuff in Books: a conundrum

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Elizabeth DeBold

When we think of book history, most of us focus on the creation, dissemination, and reception of texts. But as many scholars have begun to discuss in the last few years, books and manuscripts ended up being used in many…

Henry Clay Folger’s Deltiological Profile, Part II
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Henry Clay Folger’s Deltiological Profile, Part II

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Stephen H. Grant

A Guest Post by Stephen Grant Fig. 1 Picturesque Truckee River View on S.P.R.R. Collators, we pick up from the series of picture postcards Henry Folger sent to his wife Emily in Brooklyn during his Standard Oil Company business trips…

A Dictionary for Don Quixote
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A Dictionary for Don Quixote

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Kathryn Vomero Santos

A guest post by Kathryn Vomero Santos For scholars interested in the history of translation and language learning in early modern England, signs of use in books designed to teach their users how to read, speak, or write in another…

What are ancient coins doing at the Folger Shakespeare Library?
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What are ancient coins doing at the Folger Shakespeare Library?

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Erin Blake

Thanks for the great guesses at the identity of the November 2019 Crocodile. It’s tempting to pick one at random and just run with it (“Why yes, it is King Lear’s lost button!”) but in fact, Robin Swope’s guess that…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: November 2019
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: November 2019

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Author
The Collation

The November 2019 Crocodile Mystery is a two-parter…. What is this? And why is it part of the Folger Shakespeare Library’s collection? Please use the Comments section for answers, guesses, ridiculous speculation, and so on. Check back next week for…

Learning to Weep: Early Modern Readers Reading Saint Peters Complaint (1595)
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Learning to Weep: Early Modern Readers Reading Saint Peters Complaint (1595)

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Clarissa Chenovick

A guest post by Clarissa Chenovick Devotional weeping was serious business in early modern England. In an impressive array of bestselling print sermons and spiritual treatises, preachers and writers of varied religious persuasions exhort their hearers and readers to weep,…

Henry Clay Folger’s Deltiological Profile, Part I
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Henry Clay Folger’s Deltiological Profile, Part I

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Stephen H. Grant

A guest post by Stephen Grant Like Emily Jordan Folger, Henry Clay Folger manifests his deltiological profile in two ways. First, he purchases picture postcards and sends them to his wife when he is on business trips. I found no…

Early modern straws; or, quills are not just for writing
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Early modern straws; or, quills are not just for writing

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Heather Wolfe

This post is brought to you by John Ward, who observed in the 1660s that a good way to “avoid drinking too much Beer” is to “suck itt in with a quill.” John Ward’s sage advice, given him by Dr.…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: October 2019
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: October 2019

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Author
The Collation

For this month’s Crocodile Mystery, we ask you, our wonderful readers: What is this thing, and what is it made of? As always, comment with your thoughts and guesses and we’ll be back next week with more information!

The Newsy Baronet: how Richard Newdigate (per)used his newsletters
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The Newsy Baronet: how Richard Newdigate (per)used his newsletters

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Elisabeth Chaghafi

A guest post by Elisabeth Chaghafi Large collections of books or manuscripts may be interesting for two reasons: the actual content of the items they contain, and also what they reveal about the collector who compiled them. The Folger’s Newdigate…

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