**REGISTRATION FOR THIS TOUR IS FULL** (4/25/2014)Celebrating Shakespeare’s 450th Birthday in 2014, the
Folger Shakespeare Library is home to the world’s largest and finest collection of Shakespeare materials. The Folger Shakespeare Library houses approximately 260,000 books, 60,000 manuscripts, 250,000 playbills, and more than 90,000 works of art as well as musical instruments and costumes. The strength of the collections are materials on William Shakespeare and the theater up to the present day, and early modern materials in the West from 1450 until the mid1700s. Many of the Shakespeare materials were originally acquired by Henry and Emily Folger.
Since opening in 1932 the Folger has continued to acquire significant holdings that make it a world-class research center on the early modern age. Acquisitions continue for all parts of the collections. Highlights include the Elizabethan Theater, the Library’s Reading Room, and the Great Hall, which will house a special exhibition titled
Shakespeare’s the Thing. The exhibition emphasizes Shakespeare’s influence on visual art, performance, and scholarship with items selected by Folger staff, including a look at how fans have celebrated Shakespeare from his time to ours. The tour will include information about the history and operations of the Folger Shakespeare Library, a discussion of digital initiatives, a glimpse at the conservation or photography lab, and a visit to the Folger Reading Room.
Maximum Participants: 25
Fee: Free
Accessibility: Walking and standing.
Transportation: The group will take Metro to this tour, and will leave at 9:30am. Fare is $1.70 or $2.10 each way depending on rush hour. Please meet the tour shepherd near the shoe shine stand in the hotel lobby 15 minutes prior to departure.
