Finding aids

This article is currently a draft.

Finding aids are hierarchical archival descriptions of manuscript and other collections. They complement the bibliographic descriptions found in library catalogs like Hamnet. Starting in the early 2000s, the Folger Shakespeare Library began converting its paper-based finding aids into electronic form, and creating new finding aids directly online. The result is the Folger's Finding Aid Database.

For general guides to finding information about specific topics at the Folger, see Research guides.

The following finding aid links are organized by topic and then alphabetically.

Shakespeare and performance

This section provides a list of links to Shakespeare-related finding aids.

• Bacon, Delia Salter, Papers of, 1820-1952 (bulk 1827-1859), 323 items
• Booth, Edwin, Letters to various recipients, 1858-1893, 534 items
• Collier, John Payne Collection of letters and papers removed from The history of English dramatic poetry to the time of Shakespeare, and Annals of the stage of the restoration by J.P. Collier, 19th century, 152 items
• Collier, John Payne Collection of letters and papers, removed from An old man’s diary ca. 1875, 1647-1875 (bulk 1830-1875), 172 items
• Collier, John Payne copies of manuscripts and printed material, ca. 1400-ca. 1700, ca. 1825-1861, 48 items
• Collier, John Payne, Autograph letters signed and initialed to various recipients, 1824-1882, 224 items
• Collier, John Payne, Letters from various correspondents, 1799-1884, 231 items
• Daly, Augustin, 1838-1899. Collection of letters and papers, n.d., 1849-1916, 33 boxes
• Drury Lane and Covent Garden Theatres, records of, 1714-1880, 282 items (218 manuscript volumes and 64 manuscript documents)
• Garrick, David, Playbills relating to the theatrical career (Legacy), 1741-1776, 552 items
• Halliwell-Phillipps, J.O., Scrapboxes of, 19th century, 43 boxes
• Henderson, William, Manuscripts in the Collection of Playbills, etc., ca. 1750-1889 (bulk 1801-1889), approximately 600 items

Early modern

This section provides a list of links for early modern non-Shakespeare finding aids.

• Bacon, Nathaniel, Papers of, 1574-1650 (bulk 1590-1622), 51 items
• Bacon-Townshend Collection, 1550-1640, 1036 items
• Bagot Family Papers, 1428-1671 (bulk 1557-1671), 1076 items
• Bennet, Robert, Papers of, 1603-1678 (bulk 1642-1663), 209 items
• Booth family of Twemlow, Letters, 1628-1689, 28 items
• Burton, Drue, Collection of state papers and other materials, ca. 1607-ca. 1625, 1 volume
• Cavendish-Talbot Family, Papers of the, 1333-1705 (bulk 1548-1676), 203 items
• De conquestu Angliae per Hispanos, 1570-1604 (bulk 1580s), 1 volume (19 items)
• Dering family, Papers of the, ca. 1450-ca. 1680, 21 items
• England and Wales, Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, warrants and orders to Master of the Great Wardrobe, 1669, 1676-1677, 27 items (27 bifolia)
• Este and Farnese families, Collection of letters, 1592-1805, 30 items
• Ferrers Family of Tamworth Castle, Papers of, 1371-1806 (bulk 16th - 17th century), 1225 items (29 boxes)
• German Authors, Letters and Papers by (Legacy), 1777-1912, approximately 175 items
• Goodricke Family of Ribston Hall, Nidderdale, Yorkshire, Papers of, 1639?-1689, 1 volume
• Helsby, Mary Hatton, Letters to various recipients, 1651-1668, 23 items