Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-08
Reveals Folger Ideal
W OF SHAKESPEARE LIBRARY FOUNDER COMPLETING WORK
BY JAMES WALDO FAwCETI

4
4 speare Library, on East Capt.
toll street, adjacent to the
Library of Congress, has been in wash
ineton to supervise the arrangement OF
the founders room in the recently
completed building. she came ana
went unheralded. and not more than
dozen persons were aware OF ner VlSlt'
A woman of keen, active and sympa-
thetic mind, Mrs. Folger was her nus
bands partner in his STUDY OF lne ne
and works of William Shakespeare
through nearly five decades. she knows
the vast collection of precious DOCKS
and relics which Mr.. F'olger bequeatheo
TO the Nation as no other lnolVloual
does Each item in the almost endless
list has its own place in her memory.
Her enthusiasm has not Waned she Is;
if anything, even more keenly interested
in the subject now that the noble edltlce
en- long anticipated by her husband is
a material reality, and much OF the
business Of furnishing and equlpplng II
has of necessity passed from his hands
into hers.
BORN Emily C. Jordan, daughter of
Edward Jordan solicitor of the Treas
ury Department during the admins
tration of Lincoln, johnson and Grant,
Mrs. Folger descends from old New
England stock. She was graduated
ried Mr.. Folger on october 6, 1885.
Her acquaintance with Washington and
her faith in the increasing beauty of
the CITY dates back to her girlhcod.
"During the World War" she says.
INV husband and l were frequently in
the Capital. The plan for the library
was already formulated, and Mr.. Folger
had decided that it was in Washington,
rather than elsewhere, that the library
eventually should be built. We used
10 walk about in the city, inspecting
possible sites and visionlng the edlilce
As IL might be when finished. At dif-
ferent times we considered different To-
cations.
Problem Of Purchase.
when at last we chose the block on
East Capitol street there was the prob
lem of purchasing the property. There
were IA houses in the block, the famous
old Grants Row. Buying them, one by
one was a task which occupied nine
years. In this matter the late John
Catesby Weldon was Mr.. Folger's agent.
When finally assembled We had plot
Capitol street and 154 feet on Second
and Third streets. Grants Row was
built in 1871, and many celebrated
statesmen occupied the houses when
they were in their prime. We began
clearing the site on Armistice day, 1929.
and when the question arose as to by
whom the first bricks should be removed
Mr.. Folger said that in consideration of
Mr.. Weedon's invaluable services the
honor should be his. Mr.. Weldon &C
cepted the invitation, and so it was
that it fell to him to begin the demoli
ticn labor"
Mrs. Folger explained how her hus-
band had checked his decision to build
the library in Washington with the
i opinions of other men. DIR. John
Franklin Jameson, chief of the Division
of Manuscripts at the Library of Con-
greSs, was a clasSmate Of Mr.. Folger
at Amherst, graduating with him in
1879. OF course, my husband consulted
with his friend. Asked the point blank
question, Is Washington the place for
the library?' DR.. Jameson answered:
Forty years ago should have said mo
Now I say yes" Both Mr.. Folger
and Dr. Jameson had watched the
steady growth OF the city as a cultural
as we'll as a political capital. Their
love for Washington had grown stronger
as the city itself grew in beauty and
cultural status. New York had been
suggested as a location for the new
building, but Mr.. Folger had felt that
commercial city rather than great
educational center. The University OF
Chicago had offered to provide a build
ing for the collection and Mr.. Folger
had been vary favorably impressed by
the university's proposal; but at last
he declined 1t became his conviction
that the library should be his contribu-
ton to the noble plan for the new
Capital city. Once he decided, he did
not waver. Detail by detail the design
was worked out. When my husband
died the actual construction was well
under way Had he lived to see the
completed building am sure he would
have been entirely satisfied. 1t Is his
dream come alive"
Study Of Designs.
Mrs. Folger told how carefully her
husband had studied the architects
designs. how painstakingly he had en-
deavored to anticipate the needs OF the
scholars for whom the library was TO
be built The only thing that can
recall about which we failed TO thlnK
was the matter of book-plate,
she said. II cannot find any men
| ton in my notes of this important
subject We seem to have thought OF
everything else And of course there
were a good many details we had 10
consider. But. then, we had so years
| together, gathering our COLLECTION anu
planning for its final arrangement. we
worked together consistently all that
time Perhaps our Shakespeare part
| nership was like that of Charles ana
Mary Lamb, who were brother ana
sister, or Of Charles and Mary Cowden
| Clarke, who were husband and wife.
Horace Howard and Helen Kate Fur
ness used to say that we were carrying
| on the tradition as they themselves
were. working together"
| Mrs Folger was asked about the cos
mopolitan significance of Shakespeare
Well" she said in reply, I'VE always
have felt that Shakespeare was tor the
world, not just for England Americans
have always loved him, and many OF
our people have helped to spread MS
fame Part of our idealism comes from
his writings. He is part of US"
| Throughout Mr.. F'olger'S lengthy
quest for Shakespeare material his WIG
was his unfaltering aide and associate
Book sellers throughout Europe, as wei
as all the more important dealers u
! the United States, sent their catalog:
and lists to Mr. Folger as matter OF
routine. 1t was Mrs. Folger's responsl,
bility to check in these publications al
the items which she thought would De 6l
interest. She read literally thousands
OF such pamphlets, and when oppor-
tunity offered Mr. Folger would go over
with her the selections she had sug-
geSted. She kept a card file OF ootr
books proposed for purchase and oooGS
actually bought, and this file, nam
tanned with scrupulous care through
the years, is being used by William A
Slade, librarian of the Folger Shake,
| speare Foundation, in the making OF
the official catalogue of the collection
Mr. Slade pays grateful tribute to MIS-
Folger's systematic labors toward tnt
proper organization of both books ano