Folger Collections
A Glimpse into the Cultural History of Fragaria
a guest post by Jennie Youssef When the term of my Folger fellowship began, I had made some headway in my research for a dissertation chapter on the foodway of strawberries. The strawberry’s symbolic significance in medieval art and early…
The mystery of Humphrey Walcot’s grocery bill and early-modern popular numeracy
While merchant Humphrey Walcot’s May 8, 1601 shopping list is unique for some of its items, writing lists of items and prices was very common. Packed with accounts, bills, and receipts, the Folger collection shows how people from all walks of life used numbers every day.
What's in a playbill?
The Folger collection includes approximately 250,000 playbills, the single-sheet precursors of today’s multi-page theater programs.Many theater programs in the United States have a striking yellow banner with PLAYBILL in black letters on the front cover. These aren’t playbills, they’re free…
Folger Finds: Edwin Booth's royal tunic
Marking the anniversary of actor Edwin Booth’s birth on November 13, 1833, we explore a stunning historical costume from the Folger collection: an embroidered-velvet tunic that Booth wore onstage as King Richard III.
Collection Connections: 'The Porpoise' by Mark Haddon
Rachel B. Dankert, Learning and Engagement Librarian, shares items she presented on November 4, 2021 as an introduction to ‘The Porpoise’ by Mark Haddon.
ENCORES: Revisiting The Gunpowder Plot of 1605
Folger Public Programs is pleased to present ENCORES, a bi-weekly online series highlighting past performances and recalling the rich history of programming on the historic Folger stage. This week, Learning and Engagement Librarian Rachel B. Dankert presents collection items related…
Small Latin and Less Greek
In answer to this month’s Crocodile Mystery, Abbie Weinberg explores 17th century vicar John Ward’s use of both Latin and Greek in his notebooks.
Camaraderie, congeniality, and collaboration: paleography at the Folger
A look at the virtual community of volunteer paleographers who work together to transcribe manuscripts in the Folger’s collection.
Picturing Children’s Food in Early Modern Europe
a guest post by Carla Cevasco While I started my Folger fellowship intending to research children’s foodways in the manuscript recipe book collection, I was surprised by how many hungry, eating, or even eaten children could be found in the…
Collection Connections: 'Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch' by Rivka Galchen
Dr. Emma Poltrack shares items she presented on October 7, 2021 as an introduction to ‘Everyone Knows Your Mother Is a Witch’ by Rivka Galchen.
Three chords and the truth
There are moments when a song is the best way to convey an emotional message. Even though songs are mostly public things, they still can feel intensely personal. Popular songs in early modern England were sung in ballad form. At…
Extra-Illustrating Othello
a guest post by Patricia Akhimie On my last visit to the Folger Shakespeare Library in Fall 2019 (a time that seems all too distant now) to conduct research for a new edition of Othello, I set myself the goal…