Tuesday, June 10, 2008

The Bard

The Folger Shakespeare Library on Capitol Hill

Located on Capitol Hill with a view of the U.S. Capital and a hop-skip-and-a-jump from the Library of Congress is the Folger Shakespeare Library. The library opened in 1932, a gift from Henry Clay Folger and his wife Emily Jordan Folger who were collectors of Shakespeare's works. It contains one of the largest and finest collections in the world of the Bard's writings.

The Tragedies of Ivlivs Caeser

The Folger is open to the public and includes a bookstore, several exhibitions, and a theater. The library also has special reader access for scholars who are either pursuing a Ph.D. or who have a doctorate.


Top left: Detail from A Midsommer Night's Dream, top right: Romeo and Juliet
Bottom left: Detail from The Merchant of Venice, bottom right: The Tragedies of Richard the III


If you love Shakespeare, be sure to visit the Folger when you're in town! And, if you want to catch a performance of Shakespeare, several venues in the area stage the Bard's works, including The Kennedy Center, Carter-Barron Amphitheater, Wolf Trap for the Performing Arts, and The Shakespeare Theater Company, to name only a few.

Shakespeare in bas relief

And since you know you cannot see yourself,
so well as by reflection, I, your glass,
will modestly discover to yourself,
that of yourself which you yet know not of.
- William Shakespeare


Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08

6 comments:

The Artful Eye said...

I never got a chance to go inside this building. It's has such beautiful reliefs. It was after closing when I strolled by on one of my final days in D.C.

Maya said...

I will definitely have to visit this when I visit there! These photos are so enticing.

Ming the Merciless said...

What an amazing building! The architecture is simply amazing.

Lara said...

wow, an entire library with Shakespeare! must be a wonder!

ptowngirl said...

Excellent photography! I look forward to exploring all of your posts -- I used to live in the DC Metro area (Oakton, Dale City, Reston, Vienna), but since I was working all the time, I didn't get to experience even a tenth of what you have documented so well on your photoblog. Great work!

ptowngirl
HamptonRoadsDailyPhoto.com

Janet Kincaid said...

Andrea: And I was there too early to get in! I'm going to have to go back, though. I adore Shakespeare!

Maya: Absolutely! I had fun shooting this building.

Ming: The architecture is stunning and this was just on the north side of the building. I didn't get over to the south side.

Lara: Completely a wonder!

ptowngirl: Welcome! Thanks for the compliments. I keep thinking I need to balance this blog out with more pictures of the suburbs, but then I run out of calendar days!