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Georgianna Ziegler

is the Associate Librarian and Head of Reference Emerita at the Folger. She has curated several exhibitions on Shakespeare, including "Shakespeare’s Unruly Women" and "America’s Shakespeare," and is a past president of the Shakespeare Society of America.
Early women buying books: the evidence
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Early women buying books: the evidence

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Georgianna Ziegler

In 1684, Bridget Trench bought herself a copy of the Rev. Samuel Clarke’s General Martyrologie, a collection of biographies of those who had been persecuted for their beliefs in the history of the church in England. Samuel Clarke, General Martyrologie…

What were women reading? A dive into the Folger vault
Shakespeare and Beyond

What were women reading? A dive into the Folger vault

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Georgianna Ziegler

Peer with me into the books left behind by women readers in the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries. What kind of books were they reading? What sort of notes did they write in them? What can we learn about their…

The Queen of the Night: The infinite variety of Cleopatra
Shakespeare and Beyond

The Queen of the Night: The infinite variety of Cleopatra

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Georgianna Ziegler

In the image above, Constance Collier, magnificent as the dying Cleopatra, sits on her throne in a dimly-lit room, light sparkling off her crown, belt and spangled train. This 1906-07 London production of Shakespeare’s Antony and Cleopatra is considered a…

Lady Percy and Lady Mortimer in Henry IV, Part 1
Lady Percy and Hotspur
Shakespeare and Beyond

Lady Percy and Lady Mortimer in Henry IV, Part 1

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Georgianna Ziegler

In Henry IV, Part 1, Shakespeare created Lady Percy and Lady Mortimer out of the fragments of history, giving them voices that appeal freshly to us today.

Mistress Quickly: From Hostess in 'Henry IV Part 1' to Fairy Queen in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'
Falstaff and Mistress Quickly
Shakespeare and Beyond

Mistress Quickly: From Hostess in 'Henry IV Part 1' to Fairy Queen in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor'

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Georgianna Ziegler

The Hostess seems to have been a favorite character from the beginning, ruling the tavern where Prince Hal hangs out with Falstaff. Evidently aware of her popularity with audiences, Shakespeare developed her character further in later plays, where she evolves…

Outdoor Shakespeare: The pioneers of a summer tradition
Photograph of a woman lounging under a tree
Shakespeare and Beyond

Outdoor Shakespeare: The pioneers of a summer tradition

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Georgianna Ziegler

Shakespeare by the sea, on the river, in the park or garden, on the common – in the summertime Shakespeare’s plays are everywhere outdoors! High-profile shows in New York’s Central Park or at Ashland’s Oregon Shakespeare Festival may come to…

Elizabeth I and the Qing Empress Xiaozhuang
Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I and Empress Xiaozhuang
Shakespeare and Beyond

Elizabeth I and the Qing Empress Xiaozhuang

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Georgianna Ziegler

Like Elizabeth, Xiaozhuang was a woman with intellectual and political interests, attaining the powerful position of Empress Dowager in Qing China.

Women painting Shakespeare in the time of Jane Austen and Queen Victoria
Angelica Kauffmann painted; engraver unknown. Two Gentlemen of Verona Act 5, scene 4. ART File S528t7 no.40
Shakespeare and Beyond

Women painting Shakespeare in the time of Jane Austen and Queen Victoria

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Georgianna Ziegler

During the late 18th and early 19th century, professional women artists in England were becoming more prominent and turning to Shakespeare for material.

The First English Actresses
Nell Gwyn. Print, by R. Tomson after Peter Lely, from Cunningham, The story of Nell Gwyn. 1883. Folger Shakespeare Library.
Shakespeare and Beyond

The First English Actresses

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Georgianna Ziegler

In 1660, women (rather than men) began playing female roles, including female Shakespearean roles, on the professional English stage. Learn more about these early actresses.

Shakespeare and World War I
Simplicissimus. Shakespeare and Cervantes edition. April 18, 1916. Folger Shakespeare Library.
Shakespeare and Beyond

Shakespeare and World War I

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Georgianna Ziegler

In 1916, the 300th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death coincided with World War I, although the United States had not yet entered the conflict, yet both the US and European combatants on both sides of the war took time to honor…

Announcing a New Folger Fellowship in Honor of Margaret Hannay
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Announcing a New Folger Fellowship in Honor of Margaret Hannay

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Amanda Herbert Georgianna Ziegler

We’re proud to announce the creation of a new fellowship at the Folger Shakespeare Library. In partnership with the Society for the Study of Early Modern Women, the Folger Institute will offer a fellowship to scholars working on studies of…

Princely New Year's Gift? A Newly-Discovered Manuscript
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Princely New Year's Gift? A Newly-Discovered Manuscript

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Georgianna Ziegler

What better way to greet the New Year than with a ceremony of gift giving among friends and acquaintances? It was certainly a popular way to celebrate at the courts of Elizabeth I and her successor, James I. Gifts came…

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