Folger Shakespeare Library
@folger.edu
The world's largest Shakespeare collection - plus, home to Folger Theatre, Consort, Poetry, Exhibitions, Research, Education, and more!
Actress Sarah Siddons was 18th-century London's best known tragedienne, most famous for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth. An assortment of objects from our collection show her rise as an early star of modern celebrity culture. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Sarah Siddons: "Tragedy Personified" | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 25, 2025 at 4:02 PM
Actress Sarah Siddons was 18th-century London's best known tragedienne, most famous for her portrayal of Lady Macbeth. An assortment of objects from our collection show her rise as an early star of modern celebrity culture. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Preparing to see "Hamnet" this Thanksgiving? We invite you to read @smithsonianmag.bsky.social's fascinating article on what scholars really know about Shakespeare and his family, including thoughts from Folger Director Farah Karim-Cooper.
The Real History Behind 'Hamnet' and the Tragically Short Life of William Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway's Only Son
A film adaptation of Maggie O’Farrell’s 2020 novel, starring Paul Mescal and Jessie Buckley as the Bard and his wife, imagines the lives of the Shakespeare family in fantastical and heartbreaking fash...
www.smithsonianmag.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Preparing to see "Hamnet" this Thanksgiving? We invite you to read @smithsonianmag.bsky.social's fascinating article on what scholars really know about Shakespeare and his family, including thoughts from Folger Director Farah Karim-Cooper.
Announcing the plays and playwrights for the fourth annual Reading Room Festival, a four-day festival of staged readings, panel discussions, workshops, and community celebrations! 🎉 www.folger.edu/about-us/pre...
Folger Theatre Announces the Plays and Playwrights for the Fourth Annual Reading Room Festival
Today, Folger Theatre at the Folger Shakespeare Library announced the plays and playwrights for the fourth annual Reading Room Festival, a four-day festival of staged readings, panel discussions, work...
www.folger.edu
November 20, 2025 at 11:16 PM
Announcing the plays and playwrights for the fourth annual Reading Room Festival, a four-day festival of staged readings, panel discussions, workshops, and community celebrations! 🎉 www.folger.edu/about-us/pre...
Reposted by Folger Shakespeare Library
Got a PCRS book project? Looking for community and guidance in the process? The RaceB4Race First and Second Book Institutes are here for you! Run by @folger.edu the institutes connect scholars with readers and experts.
First book: forms.gle/ht75W13xphDj...
Second book: forms.gle/gMSuCSjUj9dH...
First book: forms.gle/ht75W13xphDj...
Second book: forms.gle/gMSuCSjUj9dH...
November 20, 2025 at 7:02 PM
Got a PCRS book project? Looking for community and guidance in the process? The RaceB4Race First and Second Book Institutes are here for you! Run by @folger.edu the institutes connect scholars with readers and experts.
First book: forms.gle/ht75W13xphDj...
Second book: forms.gle/gMSuCSjUj9dH...
First book: forms.gle/ht75W13xphDj...
Second book: forms.gle/gMSuCSjUj9dH...
Before Shakespeare became a literary icon, he was a working writer trying to earn a living in a new industry. In "The Dream Factory: London’s First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare," Daniel Swift explores the dream of making money from creating art. More on our podcast!
London's First Playhouse and Shakespeare | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 20, 2025 at 2:43 PM
Before Shakespeare became a literary icon, he was a working writer trying to earn a living in a new industry. In "The Dream Factory: London’s First Playhouse and the Making of William Shakespeare," Daniel Swift explores the dream of making money from creating art. More on our podcast!
Among the many rich details of Shakespeare’s plays are numerous mentions of food and drink. Take our holiday quiz and test your knowledge on cakes and ale 🍰🍻
Quiz: Food, drink, and Shakespeare | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 19, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Among the many rich details of Shakespeare’s plays are numerous mentions of food and drink. Take our holiday quiz and test your knowledge on cakes and ale 🍰🍻
Spend your holidays with the Folger Consort! ❄️ This year's festive holiday concerts showcase the lush, many-voiced motets of 16th-century Portuguese composer Vicente Lusitano and lively early Spanish Christmas carols. Experience "Resplendent Joy" Dec 5 - 14.
www.folger.edu/whats-on/res...
www.folger.edu/whats-on/res...
Folger Consort: Resplendent Joy
Continuing a beloved tradition for the winter holidays, Folger Consort celebrates with festive music from Spain and Portugal.
www.folger.edu
November 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Spend your holidays with the Folger Consort! ❄️ This year's festive holiday concerts showcase the lush, many-voiced motets of 16th-century Portuguese composer Vicente Lusitano and lively early Spanish Christmas carols. Experience "Resplendent Joy" Dec 5 - 14.
www.folger.edu/whats-on/res...
www.folger.edu/whats-on/res...
Looking to spice up your Thanksgiving menu? 🥧 The Folger - home to the world's largest collection of hand written recipe books from early modern Britain - has you covered.
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Thanksgiving recipes from the Folger collection | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 17, 2025 at 7:08 PM
Looking to spice up your Thanksgiving menu? 🥧 The Folger - home to the world's largest collection of hand written recipe books from early modern Britain - has you covered.
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Folger Artist Fellow Missy Dunaway shares what she's learning while working on "The Birds of Shakespeare," her project to paint the 65 birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Painting the birds of Shakespeare | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 14, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Folger Artist Fellow Missy Dunaway shares what she's learning while working on "The Birds of Shakespeare," her project to paint the 65 birds mentioned in Shakespeare's works. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
What does the language of Shakespeare have in common with the Gullah-Geechee langauage? JaMeeka D. Holloway explores on The Collation blog. www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
Working Through the Tangle: Language, Archives, and Practice | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 13, 2025 at 3:08 PM
What does the language of Shakespeare have in common with the Gullah-Geechee langauage? JaMeeka D. Holloway explores on The Collation blog. www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
The Theatre, London's first purpose-built commercial playhouse, was designed for making two things: money and plays. In an excerpt from scholar Daniel Swift's new book, he explores how both were of interest to Shakespeare. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Shakespeare's Dream Factory | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 12, 2025 at 4:04 PM
The Theatre, London's first purpose-built commercial playhouse, was designed for making two things: money and plays. In an excerpt from scholar Daniel Swift's new book, he explores how both were of interest to Shakespeare. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Reposted by Folger Shakespeare Library
Recreation of an 1805 London museum exhibit that helped shape the enduring narrative about Shakespeare and British culture. Click the link to read the Picture This Post review--
@folger.edu @shakespeare.lol #DCMuseums #DCArt #DCTheater #Shakespeare #Paintings #PictureThisPostMuseums #theater #art
@folger.edu @shakespeare.lol #DCMuseums #DCArt #DCTheater #Shakespeare #Paintings #PictureThisPostMuseums #theater #art
Folger Shakespeare Library Presents Imagining Shakespeare: Mythmaking and Storytelling - Preview
A spokesperson describes the event as follows: “...The exhibition presents fourteen paintings from the Folger’s collection that were originally displayed t
www.picturethispost.com
November 10, 2025 at 7:54 PM
Recreation of an 1805 London museum exhibit that helped shape the enduring narrative about Shakespeare and British culture. Click the link to read the Picture This Post review--
@folger.edu @shakespeare.lol #DCMuseums #DCArt #DCTheater #Shakespeare #Paintings #PictureThisPostMuseums #theater #art
@folger.edu @shakespeare.lol #DCMuseums #DCArt #DCTheater #Shakespeare #Paintings #PictureThisPostMuseums #theater #art
On the blog, @austintichenor.bsky.social shares threes takes on "Macbeth" that focus on the human struggle within the tragedy in new and unexpected ways, including a production at the @the-rsc.bsky.social, a novel about Lady Macbeth, and a film for streaming.
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
"I'm Lovin' It": Variations on Macbeth | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
On the blog, @austintichenor.bsky.social shares threes takes on "Macbeth" that focus on the human struggle within the tragedy in new and unexpected ways, including a production at the @the-rsc.bsky.social, a novel about Lady Macbeth, and a film for streaming.
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio, which went on sale to the public on November 8, 1623, changing the course of English drama and literature. But what is a First Folio and why does it matter? www.folger.edu/explore/shak...
Shakespeare First Folio | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 7, 2025 at 4:09 PM
Tomorrow marks the anniversary of Shakespeare's First Folio, which went on sale to the public on November 8, 1623, changing the course of English drama and literature. But what is a First Folio and why does it matter? www.folger.edu/explore/shak...
Imprisoned for nearly 20 years by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, fought her battles through words, sending and receiving coded letters. Historian Jade Scott @huntingrebels.bsky.social uncovers the human and political depths behind Mary’s captivity: www.folger.edu/podcasts/sha...
Mary, Queen of Scots, with Jade Scott | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 6, 2025 at 5:35 PM
Imprisoned for nearly 20 years by her cousin Queen Elizabeth I, Mary, Queen of Scots, fought her battles through words, sending and receiving coded letters. Historian Jade Scott @huntingrebels.bsky.social uncovers the human and political depths behind Mary’s captivity: www.folger.edu/podcasts/sha...
New on the blog! In an excerpt from Sir Anthony Hopkin's long-awaited memoir "We Did Ok, Kid," he talks about the fateful Saturday night as a boy when he say Olivier's 1948 adaptation of "Hamlet" and the film sparked his passion for acting: www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Anthony Hopkins' first brush with Shakespeare | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 5, 2025 at 5:30 PM
New on the blog! In an excerpt from Sir Anthony Hopkin's long-awaited memoir "We Did Ok, Kid," he talks about the fateful Saturday night as a boy when he say Olivier's 1948 adaptation of "Hamlet" and the film sparked his passion for acting: www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Imagine you’re on a wooden ship in the early modern period. The sounds of the world at sea surround you. Wait, is that a TRUMPET? As unexpected as it might be, musicians were a huge part of life at sea in the early modern period. But what were they doing there? www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
Musicians on ships in Early Modern Europe | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
November 4, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Imagine you’re on a wooden ship in the early modern period. The sounds of the world at sea surround you. Wait, is that a TRUMPET? As unexpected as it might be, musicians were a huge part of life at sea in the early modern period. But what were they doing there? www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
The Folger Consort returns this week with a first-ever collaboration with Folger Poetry! Ahead of "Virtuosos of Violin and Verse" (Nov 7-9), we asked our musicians, what's your favorite modern song that feels like it could have been an early modern hit? 🎵 Consort tix: www.folger.edu/whats-on/vir...
November 3, 2025 at 6:04 PM
The Folger Consort returns this week with a first-ever collaboration with Folger Poetry! Ahead of "Virtuosos of Violin and Verse" (Nov 7-9), we asked our musicians, what's your favorite modern song that feels like it could have been an early modern hit? 🎵 Consort tix: www.folger.edu/whats-on/vir...
Director Les Kurbas's 1920 "Macbeth" was the first production of a Shakespeare play in Ukraine. Scholar Irena Makaryk talks about his work and the role that Shakespeare and theater played in Ukrainian culture, the Russian Empire, and the early Soviet Union: www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Pioneering Shakespeare in Ukraine | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
October 31, 2025 at 1:40 PM
Director Les Kurbas's 1920 "Macbeth" was the first production of a Shakespeare play in Ukraine. Scholar Irena Makaryk talks about his work and the role that Shakespeare and theater played in Ukrainian culture, the Russian Empire, and the early Soviet Union: www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
If you're in or around Capitol Hill this Halloween, stop by the Folger for some trick-or-treating. 🎃 👻 🍫 You can check out a full calendar of events at the Folger by visiting www.folger.edu/whats-on/
October 29, 2025 at 5:05 PM
If you're in or around Capitol Hill this Halloween, stop by the Folger for some trick-or-treating. 🎃 👻 🍫 You can check out a full calendar of events at the Folger by visiting www.folger.edu/whats-on/
Decorated papers are a familiar sight in the Folger collection, typically used as embellishment in or on books. What can we learn from these designs? What do they tell us about the early modern book trade? More on The Collation: www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
A Closer Look at Paste Papers with Folger Conservators | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
October 28, 2025 at 7:47 PM
Decorated papers are a familiar sight in the Folger collection, typically used as embellishment in or on books. What can we learn from these designs? What do they tell us about the early modern book trade? More on The Collation: www.folger.edu/blogs/collat...
Just in time for Halloween, we're talking poisons on the blog! ☠️ What do we know about the historical reality of Aqua Tofana and other stories of women wielding poisons? The truth is very little, but the myths are just as telling as the reality. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
"One drop to heal, three drops to kill": Women and early modern poison | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
October 27, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Just in time for Halloween, we're talking poisons on the blog! ☠️ What do we know about the historical reality of Aqua Tofana and other stories of women wielding poisons? The truth is very little, but the myths are just as telling as the reality. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Reposted by Folger Shakespeare Library
I explored my King passion a year ago for the @folger.edu. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
"Steeped in blood": The doomed youth of Shakespeare and Stephen King | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
October 27, 2025 at 5:18 PM
I explored my King passion a year ago for the @folger.edu. www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
St. Crispin's Day is right around the corner (tomorrow, October 25). We take a look at what it is and how Shakespeare shaped its legacy: www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Saint Crispin's Day Speech from Henry V | Folger Shakespeare Library
Folger Shakespeare Library is the world's largest Shakespeare collection, the ultimate resource for exploring Shakespeare and his world. Shakespeare belongs to you. His world is vast. Come explore. Jo...
www.folger.edu
October 24, 2025 at 2:26 PM
St. Crispin's Day is right around the corner (tomorrow, October 25). We take a look at what it is and how Shakespeare shaped its legacy: www.folger.edu/blogs/shakes...
Why are libraries the site of so many murder mysteries?! ☠️ Aspiring detectives can find out during "Death Between the Pages," a murder mystery inspired by the Folger collection! Work in teams to examine clues, uncover historical artifacts, and solve the mystery. www.folger.edu/whats-on/dea...
Death Between The Pages | Folger Shakespeare Library
Death Between the Pages is a murder mystery inspired by the Folger collection that takes place in the Reading Room. Work in teams to examine clues, uncover additional historical artifacts, and solve t...
www.folger.edu
October 22, 2025 at 7:50 PM
Why are libraries the site of so many murder mysteries?! ☠️ Aspiring detectives can find out during "Death Between the Pages," a murder mystery inspired by the Folger collection! Work in teams to examine clues, uncover historical artifacts, and solve the mystery. www.folger.edu/whats-on/dea...