Collecting Shakespeare: The Story of Henry and Emily Folger with Author Stephen Grant

LITCHFIELD, Conn. - Oct. 7, 2014 - PRLog -- Collecting Shakespeare recounts the story of Henry and Emily Folger whose devotion to collecting works of Shakespeare culminated in the construction of The Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C. The Library houses 82 First Folios, 275,000 books, and 60,000 Shakespearian manuscripts. It welcomes more than 100,000 visitors a year and provides professors, scholars, graduate students, and researchers from around the world with access to the collections.

Shortly after marrying in 1885, Henry and Emily Folgers started buying, cataloging, and storing all manner of items about Shakespeare and his era. Emily earned a master’s degree in Shakespeare studies. The frugal couple worked passionately as a tight-knit team during the Gilded Age, financing their hobby with the fortune Henry earned as president of Standard Oil Company of New York, where he was a trusted associate of John D. Rockefeller, Sr.

Writing is Stephen Grant’s second career after a diplomatic profession working as an education project manager in the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), with long-term postings in Ivory Coast, Egypt, Guinea, Indonesia, and El Salvador. Shifting largely from a diplomatic career to a writing life, he serves as Senior Fellow at the Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training in Arlington, Virginia, where he helps retired diplomats prepare their manuscripts for publication. Visit his website at stephenhgrant.com.

A wine and cheese reception will follow the event. The Hickory Stick Bookshop will provide books for signing and for purchase. All Oliver Wolcott Library events are free and open to the public. Space is limited. Registration is required and can be done by calling 860-567-8030 or logging onto www.owlibrary.org and clicking on Programs/Adult Programs.