Transcription Night
To date Early Modern Manuscripts Online (EMMO) has sponsored three Transcription Nights at The Big Board upstairs on May 19th, 2015 from 5:30-8:30 pm, December 15th, 2015 from 5:30pm-8:30pm & June 7th, 2016 from 5:30pm to 8:30pm.
Come try your eyes at reading/transcribing some fun sixteenth and seventeenth manuscripts from the Folger Shakespeare Library's extensive collection.
Teams will compete for the golden quill and other prizes as they transcribe a variety of manuscript pages:
- Recipes to recover from too much celebrating
- Ghost stories to be sung
- Bawdy poetry
- Drinking songs
- and more
Staff from the EMMO Project will be on hand to introduce you quickly to the art of paleography, the study of archaic handwriting, and get you started with a transcription. Easy-to-use online tools provided; no experience required.
Light snacks and refreshments will be provided; additional food and drink will be available from The Big Board's menu for purchase. The Big Board is just a short walk up 4th Street from the Folger Shakespeare Library (or, just under a mile from Union Station and NoMa/Gallaudet University metro stations). If you like word puzzles and history (and refreshments), you should consider stopping by!
Early Modern Manuscripts Online (EMMO) is an IMLS-funded project that will provide scholars and the general public with free, convenient access to a searchable database of transcriptions.