Infinite Variety: Exploring the Folger Shakespeare Library (review)

In a 1940 address to the House of Representatives, Ross Alexander Collins referred to a triumvirate of American libraries located in Washington, D.C.: the Library of Congress, the Army Medical Library, and the Folger Shakespeare Library. He described this city of libraries as the "Acropolis of America" and "the most important education center in this hemisphere, if not in the world" (U.S. Congress, House of Representatives Journal, 76th Cong., 3rd sess., 4 April 1940, 4019-20). His reference to the Folger Shakespeare Library is a dramatic reminder that it has long been one of the most impressive cultural institutions in the United States.

The founders of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Emily and Henry Folger, were ardent collectors of Shakespeareana who amassed more than 93,000 books, some 50,000 prints and engravings, thousands of manuscripts, and a vast array of playbills, paintings, busts, coins, furniture, tapestries, costumes, and other objects. Eventually, the Folgers' passion for collecting such treasures drew concerns about their safekeeping and disposition. This led to the establishment of the Folger Shakespeare Library in 1932.

In the introduction to Infinite Variety, Werner Gundersheimer, director of the Folger Shakespeare Library, explains that the publication of this book fills a gap in the literature by providing a comprehensive view of the library and its collections and services. This becomes evident when one begins to look at the contents of the book's chapters.

Infinite Variety consists of a brief introduction and four major essays. The first essay looks at the history of the library, including biographical information about its founders, Henry and Emily Folger. It also describes the early years after the library's establishment when its administrators began the challenging mission of expanding the collection beyond the scope of Shakespeareana. Readers are ultimately transported through the years of growth and development to the present day. The second essay, "A Unique Environment," describes the history and the physical qualities of the library building, including original designs, renovations, and expansions. The photographs accompanying this essay highlight the building's dual personalities: an exterior facade committed to the Neoclassicism of Washington's Capitol Hill and an interior space devoted to the Elizabethan charm of the Bard's time. The third essay, "The Living Collection," explains how the Folgers wanted the library to be a progressive institution rather than one that solely memorialized a man long dead. After all, Henry Folger was committed to the idea that the library's collections should serve as a "kit of tools for scholars" (42). This same essay also reproduces a bounty of colorful photographs from the library's collections featuring some of their most precious items. The photographs in this section are logically divided into non-Shakespearean items; works that illustrate the early modern age; and, most notably, the Folger's collection of Shakespeareana. As readers enjoy the beautifully reproduced photographs encompassing over 140 pages, they will be delighted to find brief, informative essays that describe the selected items and the significance of their value. The photographs are a major component of the book, propelling readers into the fascinating literary and cultural histories of America and Western Europe. After the lavish tour of photographs, the book brings readers back to the present time with an essay that describes the Folger's extensive list of current activities and programs. One will gain a true sense of the library's dedication to scholarship and public outreach by reading about its fellowships, publications, conservation efforts, visual displays, workshops, lectures, acting exercises, festivals, and theater productions. The list does not end here, but readers can be assured that the book provides a thorough description of the Folger's tremendous outreach services. All of the book's essays are well written and uncomplicated. They are full of anecdotes and imagery that enliven the remarkable story of the library's founding and development.

Infinite Variety is less a formal documentation than a straightforward exploration of the development and evolution...