Evening star., 1934-01-14

formally dedicated The exercises
took place In the perfect little
theater, which has been made Is
nearly as possible a reconstruction Of . Shakes
pearian theater. distinguished audience Of
statesmen, educators, and scholars was present.
with President Hoover Mrs. Folger and the
president Of Amherst College on the stage. The
event was Of national interest and gave to the
United States q unique educational institution,
which should have in years to come strong
cultural infuence-the finest and rarest col
lection Of Shakespearian material In the world
housed In beautiful building. The library
and the building were the bequest indirectly
to the American people, through the trustee
ship Of the trustees Of Amherst College Of Henry
Clay FOlger who combined highly successful
industrial career with keen1y pursued lifetime
avocation as Shakesperian scholar and collector.
Mr.. Folger died two weeks after the laying OF
the corner stone Of the building In June, 1890,
but Mrs. Folger carried out the plans which
they had together formed
In this beautifully printed and beautifully
illustrated book just issued by the trustees OF
Amherst College there are two essays one on
the library, by DR.. Joseph Quincy Adams,
supervisor Of research; the other on the build
Adams with admirable classification. describes
the material of the library. In It's INFINITE
variety. Here, in almost unbelievable full
ness and richness, are assembled books, pamph-
lets, documents, manuscripts relics, curios,
oil paintings, original drawings, water colors,
prints, statues, busts, medals, coins, ntScel-
laneous objects of art, furniture, tapestries.
playbills. prompt books. stage properties. actors
costumes and other material designed to illus
trate the poet and his times"
The Folger Library possesses no fewer than
- copies Of the first folio Of Shakespeare
(1623), of which only about 200 copies are
known to exist It has two examples Of the
In tHa prSnf
state, So examples Of the second folio (l632),
"A examples of the third folio O664), IS ex-
amples of the fourth folio Q685) and the
largest number Of Shakespearian quartos ever
collected
There Is practically a complete collection Of
source books, including, Of course. Painter.
Hoinshed, Plutarch, Lodges "Rosalind" and
Greenes "Pandosto." Allusion books Eliza
bethan music books and musical instruments.
dramatic works Of Shakespeares predecessors,
contemporaries and successors, modern editions
Of Shakespeare and books and records giving
the history of Shakespeare the stage, are
also to be found in the Folger Library. But
1t Is impossible even briefly to indicate the
resources Of this treasure store in the space
Of . review.
The building as described by Mr.. Cret, and
Is It Is known more superfcially to many
residents of and visitors to Washington, seems
Q worthy treasure house for the store. Mr..
Cret explains that in q city as classical in its
architecture as Washington, an Elizabethan
building would have been inappropriate. That
Is undoubtedly true, but this reviewer has al
ways been sorry that an Elizabethan building
was impossible. The double problem Of har-
mony with other Government architecture and
Of adapting the building to its many needs
housing of the famous library, . museum for
the paintings and other objets dart, the
reading room, the theater-has been most
fo1ir irffp cC1u hu hn arCh nd ho
consulting architect, Alexander B. Trowbridge.
The reading room, whose use is for Shakes
pearian scholars only, has the atmosphere Of
an Old World library Of scholarship. The
theater, with its outer, inner and upper stages
and its many Elizabethan details, makes one
long to see Shakespeare play performed in
it, in Is nearly as possible the manner Of
Shakespeare's own time.
Among the most artistic Of the outer details
Of the building is the figure Of Puck, at the
fountain of the west front, by Brenda Putnam.
This book on the Folger Library, published
20 soon after the opening Of the library, will
be welcomed by all libraries, artists, scholars
and many who can claim to be only part OF the
appreciative public. The foreword Is signed
for the trustees Of Amherst College by Harlan
Fiske Stone, chairman Of the Committee ON
the Folger Shakespeare Library, and william
Adams Slade, director Of the library.
THE ECONOMICS OF THE RECOVERY
PROGRAM. BY Douglass v. Brown. Ed
ward Chamberlin, Seymour e. Harris,
Wassily w. Leontief, Edward 8. Mason,
Joseph A. Schumpeter and Overton II.
Taylor, all Of Harvard University. New
York: Whittlesey House. McGraw-Hill
Book Co.
IA /HEN every one is today talking about
w depression and recovery, denation and
imitation, public works and public relief,
budgets and deficits, and many who never
before wrote anything but friendly letters are
writing pamphlets and books On these sub
tects the wary reader Is likely to ask the
credentials Of the author before he concen-
trates bis ahsorptiYe and reasoning powers