by Andrea Mays
4. Patrick T. Conley and Paul Campbell, Providence, a Pictorial History (Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Virginia: Donning, 1982), 118. The bank still exists today as Fleet National Bank.
5. Carl L. Cannon, American Book Collectors and Collecting from Colonial Times to the Present (New York: H. W. Wilson, 1941), 328. Also see 163, 326–328, 337.
6. Dickinson, Dictionary of American Book Collectors, 258.
7. Edwin Wolf and John F. Fleming, Rosenbach: A Biography (Cleveland: World Publishing, 1960), 341.
8. At the same time, Folger was after the famous Daniel Folio. “RESALE OF DANIEL FOLIO: HENRY C. FOLGER . . . £8600,” New York Times, January 4, 1919.
9. The Tradition of A. W. Pollard and the World of Literary Scholarship, 1, http://sherpa.bl.uk/26/01/PollardSept1.pdf.
10. Emphasis in original. Wolf and Fleming, Rosenbach, 118. The total of $128,500 paid for the lot included the Pavier-Gwynne quarto, the only known copy in America of the 1594 Henry VI Part II, the only known fragment of the 1595 Venus and Adonis, a 1605 Richard III, Charles Lamb’s copy of Poems, and other items.
11. Basbanes, A Gentle Madness, 196–198.
12. Ibid.
13. The eleven quartos he purchased included King John First Part, King John Second Part 1591, Hamlet 1676, and Julius Caesar 1684. Basbanes, A Gentle Madness, 196, 197.
14. See page 16 in the Rosenbach pamphlet prepared for the occasion of the donation of the four folios by the Widener daughters in memory of their father, January 22, 1945. This story is told in West, The Shakespeare First Folio, 2:235. Today Widener’s four folios are at the Free Library of Philadelphia.
15. Wolf and Fleming, Rosenbach, 120–21.
16. Ibid.
17. “BOUGHT FOR HUNTINGTON,” New York Times, December 18, 1919.
18. Folger Shakespeare Library folio file, Folger letter, January 12, 1920.
19. Folger Shakespeare Library folio file, Gabriel Wells letter, January 15, 1920.
20. Folger Shakespeare Library folio file, Folger letter, March 30, 1920.
21. Folger Shakespeare Library folio file, Gabriel Wells letter, March 30, 1920.
22. Folger Shakespeare Library folio file, Folger letter, June 4, 1920.
23. The Gilburne Copy—bound in “full morocco extra by Riviere,” Maggs catalogue. See Peter W. M. Blayney, The First Folio of Shakespeare (Washington, DC: The Folger Shakespeare Library, 1991), 43–44. Also West, The Shakespeare First Folio, 2:157 re: W 70, F 12.
Chapter 11: “I Am an American”
1. Emily J. Folger, “The Dream Come True: The Story of the Library and of Henry Clay Folger,” corrected typescript of paper presented at the Meridian Club, 1933. Folger archive, box 56.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. One folder in Folger archive, box 56, contains letters from the Realtor/lawyer indicating that one row house owner has become aware that properties surrounding his on Grant’s Row have been bought up, and he has become a holdout.
6. In 1930, Standard Oil employee Alexander Welsh wrote, “There has been no Librarian, nor a staff of any kind. With Mrs. Folger’s and my help we have gotten through.”
7. ALS, signed by A. S. W. Rosenbach, June, 16, 1921, Folger correspondence file.
8. A. S. W. Rosenbach writing from Philadelphia to Folger at the Homestead resort in Virginia, April 1, 1922, First folio files, folio 1.
9. Henry Folger had purchased a mulberry thimble from the Warwick Castle sale, and added several mulberry relics including a mulberry goblet of David Garrick’s. Folger had reached his limit on purchases of mulberry objects purportedly fashioned from the tree planted by Shakespeare when he wrote, “I have many articles carved from the mulberry tree, so am not inclined to buy any more.”
10. De Ricci, English Collectors, 148–149.
11. The book contains the cancellandum and the cancellans of the last leaf of Romeo and Juliet. Folger folios 2, 4, 59, 71, and 72 also contain the canceled leaf.
12. Punch, May 24, 1922. The Folger Library owns the original artwork.
13. West, The Shakespeare First Folio, 1:137.
14. Letter from Henry Folger to C. F. Tucker Brooke, Folger archive.
15. Letter from J. C. Weedon to Henry Folger, September 17, 1925, Folger archive, box 56.
Chapter 12: “Portrait of a Collector”
1. Wolf and Fleming. Also “U.S. Cellars for First Folios,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, January 23, 1926, 6.
2. Wolf and Fleming, Rosenbach, 200.
3. Frank O. Salisbury, Sarum Chase: New and Enlarged Portrait and Pageant (London: John Murray, 1953), 101.
4. West, The Shakespeare First Folio, 2:194, citing letter February 23, 1999; also Wolf and Fleming, Rosenbach, 293–294.
5. The Lamp in Henry Folger: 18 June 1857–11 June 1930.
6. Rockefeller correspondence folder, Folger archive, box 23.
7. Ibid.
8. Henry Clay Folger letter to Forsyth, January 11, 1929, Folger correspondence file.
Chapter 13: “Thou Art a Moniment, Without a Tombe”
1. Henry Folger letter to Trowbridge, October 19, 1928, Folger archive, box 57.
2. Henry Clay Folger letter to A. S. W. Rosenbach, April 29, 1929, Folger archive, folio correspondence file.
3. Folger letter to Trowbridge, December 17, 1928, Folger archive, box 57.
4. Henry Clay Folger letter to Trowbridge, December 20, 1928, Folger archive, box 57.
5. Henry Clay Folger letter to Trowbridge, January 7, 1929; February 11, 1929, Folger archive, box 57.
6. February 13, 1929, Folger archive, box 57.
7. Henry Clay Folger letter to Trowbridge, February 28, 1929, Folger archive, box 57.
8. Henry Clay Folger letter to Trowbridge, March 9, 1929, Folger archives, box 57.
9. Henry Clay Folger letter to Trowbridge, March 7, 1929, Folger archive, box 57.
10. May 20, 1929, Folger archive, box 57.
11. Ibid.
12. October 11, 1929, Folger archive, box 57.
13. Folger archive, box 57. Alas, Henry’s torchières have been sold off. They were sold recently at auction and will illuminate a casino in Florida.
14. Folger personally chose the following quotations for inscription in the library.
Entrance from Theatre Lobby to Theatre:
As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for Comedy and tragedy among the Latines: so Shakespeare among the English is the most excellent in both kids for the Stage.
Meres, Palladis Tamia, 1598
East End Exhibition Hall:
Thrice happy the nation that Shakespeare has charm’s.
More happy the bosoms his genius has warm’s:
Ye children of nature, of fashion, and whim,
He painted you all, all join to praise him.
David Garrick
Entrance from Main Reading Room to Catalogue Room, under Church Window:
I do not remember that any book or
Person or event ever produced so great an
Effect on me as Shakespeare’s plays.
I am astonished by their strength and
Their tenderness, by their power and
Their peace.
Goëthe
Next to it:
Shakespeare is fertility,
Force, exuberance, no reticence, no binding, no
Economy, the inordinate and tranquil prodigality
Of the creator.
Hugo
Chapter 14: “It Is the Key to Our Hearts”
1. E. Folger, “The Dream Come True.”
2. The estate was not as simple as the New York Times suggested. In 1930, the law required that upon the death of a safety-deposit box owner, an appraisal of its contents must be made within one year. That inventory and appraisal of approximately 470 of the most treasured and valuable books in the Folger collection were conducted by Edward Lazear of the Broad Street Bank where Henry kept a safety deposit box. Giles Dawson unpublished
typescript. Inside the bank, under the watchful eye of the widow dressed in black, Lazear unpacked bundle after bundle of books. At that moment, no one alive but Emily knew the extent of their purchases. No one but she would know what, if anything, was missing. Now, for the first time, an outside appraiser would get an inkling of what had been squirreled away.
The estate, whose value was composed foremost of the library building, the collection, and Standard Oil stock, was appraised and valued. “The account shows the net value of the estate at Mr. Folger’s death on June 11, 1930 was $13,719,635.” While Henry had hoped to bring the cost of the building in at a cost of less than $1 million, the building alone, according to the article, came in at around $1.75 million.
He bequeathed $10 million worth of Standard Oil stock to the trustees of Amherst. As a result of the market crash in August 1929, the value of the Standard Oil stock had fallen and the monies were not sufficient to accomplish everything—the library, upkeep, continued acquisitions, fellowships, etc. Emily contributed substantial amounts from her own inheritance from Henry, and continued to make such donations for the rest of her life, as well as in her own bequests. If the fund dipped below $10 million, he stipulated, the library trustees were permitted to use only the income of the fund for expenses. If the estate grew and the fund was worth in excess of $10 million, it was permissible to use the money for acquisitions and development.
Henry Folger’s estate was valued as of June 1931. The estate was made up entirely of shares of oil stocks—from Standard of California, Indiana, New York, New Jersey, plus Prairie Oil and Gas; the total valuation was $2,999,852—a far cry from the $6.8 million it had been worth before the stock market crash on October 29, 1929. (Note that the valuation is mentioned on September 22, 1931. “Almost half of the estate of the late Henry C. Folger, formerly president and chairman of the board of Standard Oil Company of New York . . . is represented by the investments in the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington. This is shown by the intermediate account of Mrs. Emily C. J. Folger, widow and executrix, which was filed yesterday in the Surrogate’s court at Mineola, L.I. [New York].”
The valuation as of June 1931, conducted for the estate; attached was a list of securities, as well as their values as of June 1931.
720 shares
Prairie Oil & Gas Co
at 9
6,480
116 shares
Standard Oil Co Calif
at 363/8
4,219.50
5,490 shares
Standard Oil Co Ind
at 251/4
138,622.50
36,494 shares
Standard Oil Co NJ
at 37
1,350,278
62,322 shares
Standard Oil Co NY
at 16
997,152
10,400 shares
Standard Oil Co Ind
at 251/4
262,000
6,500 shares
Standard Oil Co NJ
at 37
240,500
2,999,852
Cash
148
Total
3,000,000
Folger Shakespeare Library, Folger archive, box 58.
Attached was a list of securities, as well as their values as of August 30, 1929, prior to the stock market crash; securities prices from the New York Times. Assuming the quantities were the same, the total valuation is given below.
720 shares
Prairie Oil & Gas Co
at 9
583/8
116 shares
Standard Oil Co Calif
at 363/8
761/2
5,490 shares
Standard Oil Co Ind
at 251/4
575/8
36,494 shares
Standard Oil Co NJ
at 37
713/4
62,322 shares
Standard Oil Co NY
at 16
441/8
10,400 shares
Standard Oil Co Ind
at 251/4
575/8
6,500 shares
Standard Oil Co NJ
at 37
713/4
August 30, 1929
$6,827,274
The market crash had cost Henry and Emily Folger half of their liquid assets.
3. Letter from William Slade to Emily Folger, Folger archive, box 58.
4. Rosenbach, Henry Folger as a Collector, 105.
5. Ibid.
6. 82 First Folios, about 50 Second Folios, at least 23 Third Folios, about 38 Fourth Folios, nearly 200 Shakespeare folios in all.
7. “Dear Shepherd now that I find thy saw of might,/Whoever loved that loved not at first sight.” As You Like It (III, iv).
8. Sadly, the portrait is almost certainly not of Shakespeare. During the painting’s 1979 restoration, details uncovered suggest the subject of the painting is Sir Hugh Hamersley, who was later Lord Mayor of London.
9. Joseph Quincy Adams, address at dedication of Folger Shakespeare Library, typed transcript, Folger archive, box 58.
10. E. Folger, “The Dream Come True.”
11. In Henry Folger’s own words: “It was well under way when two notable collections were added en bloc; The Halliwell-Phillipps Collection of Shakespeare Rarities was one of England’s most famous assemblages of literary nuggets, 50 years ago. Its catalogue was as fascinating as a novel, for the clever collector told how each item earned its place with the other gems, and how he had tracked down his quarry, with patience and skill. This is a great Collection by itself, and adds much dignity to the library where it is now placed.
“Almost as notable is the charming Shakespeare Library from Warwick Castle, where it filled a room of size in that historic structure. It is especially distinguished for its Manuscripts, most notable of which is the play worked up in 1610 by Sir Edward Deering, combining the two parts of Henry IV, the only surviving manuscript of any Shakespeare play prepared during his lifetime. Sir Edward may have worked with Shakespeare’s own manuscript, or with that of the playhouse.
“But these are by no means the only Collections added to the Folger Library; Dr. John Gott, Bishop of Truro, had a shelf of 16 beautiful Quartos, purchased together after a quest most romantic. The story is too long—but far from too tedious, to be told here.
“The Lord Howe’s marvelous group of 27 Quartos was secured on the very eve of the date set for their sale by auction. This was the culmination of negotiations extending back more than two years.
“Maurice Jonas added a fine lot of Shakepeariana, including many Quartos and Poems.
“Mention must also be made of the Collection of Samuel Timmins, the Shakespeare enthusiast, of Birmingham; of J. P. Colleri, the tireless student-editor; of Prof. Dowden, of Dublin University; of Dr. Ingleby, who set the student world at work seeking the books paying tribute to Shakespeare, or drawing inspiration from him. Mrs. Rose, the birthplace historian, a flame of passionate enthusiasm for the Bard, willed to the Library her Shakespeare treasures, not the least of which are her own manuscripts, lectures and notes.
“The list might be extended almost indefinitely.
“But we cannot overlook that glorious actor, David Garrick. He rescued the Shakespeare plays from their detractors, who were remodeling—in fact rewriting—Shakespeare. He went back to the text of the folios and quartos: We cannot be too grateful to him. So we are pleased to find here a long line of his Shakespeare Prompt Books, filled with his manuscript corrections; a large quantity of literary writing, and some 300 autograph letters. A busy man was Garrick; a great actor; a true friend.
“That recalls the splendid collection of Prompt Books made by Samuel Phelps, the English player, and a similar line prepared by our own sterling actor, Robert Mantell. We mention also the Shakespeare costumes of Sothern & Marlowe, and end this list with half a million Shakespeare playbills.”
12. Emily Jordan Folger letter to William Slade. It is the last
letter from Emily in the library’s files. Folger archive, box 58.
13. Telegram to Joseph Quincy Adams from Edward J. Dimmock, the Folgers’ nephew and executor of Henry Folger’s will, Folger archive, box 58.
Epilogue
1. Georgianna Ziegler, “Duty and Enjoyment: The Folgers as Shakespeare Collectors in the Gilded Age” in Shakespeare in American Life (Washington, DC: Folger Shakespeare Library, 2007), 101.
Index
A note about the index: The pages referenced in this index refer to the page numbers in the print edition. Clicking on a page number will take you to the ebook location that corresponds to the beginning of that page in the print edition. For a comprehensive list of locations of any word or phrase, use your reading system’s search function.
Acquisition of Additional Land for the Library of Congress (report), 233–34
Adams, John, 72
Adams, John T., 186
Adams, Joseph Quincy, 266
Adams, W. Fulford, 186, 187
Adams Cup, 199
Adelphi Academy, 77–78
Alchemist, The (Jonson), 19
Alleyn, Edward, 6
All Is True (Shakespeare), 16
All’s Well That Ends Well (Shakespeare), 52
Alpha Delta Phi, 80
American Century, 106
American Civil War, 83
American Golfer, 200
Amherst, Lord Jeffrey, 170
Amherst College, xiii, 78–82, 90, 106, 184, 278
honorary doctorate bestowed on Emily, 267–68
honorary doctorate bestowed on Folger, 184
library endowment administered by, 258, 259, 261, 263, 265
Amherst Student, The, 199
Andrews, Samuel, 84
Annals of the Stage to the Restoration (Collier), 70
Anti-Stratfordians, 26–28, 45–46, 222
Antony and Cleopatra (Shakespeare), xv, 13, 14, 52, 144
Apawamis Club, 199
Aquitania, RMS, 250