Director's Hour with Michael Barsanti: "A Dukedom Large Enough:" Shakespeare and The Library Company of Philadelphia

Visitors to the Library Company may notice that they are greeted by the busts of two men above the front desk: George Washington and William Shakespeare. Washington is certainly a part of our history and may well have been a visitor, but why is Shakespeare there?

Edwin Wolf 2nd Director Michael Barsanti will talk about the place Shakespeare held in colonial America and his place at the Library Company. What plays were most popular with early shareholders? What was the first volume of Shakespeare acquired by the Library Company? Who were the biggest lovers of Shakespeare among our early community and what place does Shakespeare occupy in our present understanding of the culture of early America?