Our trip to Maughan Library and Special Collections was quite a surprise, and probably not in the way one might imagine. Like many of the other libraries we visited, Maughan Library displayed some beautiful texts from their special collections with explanations of importance and meaning. While this information was quite interesting, our tour leader gave us a bit of information that I had never considered, and found to be quite interesting.
I haven't mentioned it before now, but nearly every library we have visited has had something marking 400 years since Shakespeare. It's an anniversary that seems to be celebrated in nearly all scholarly locations. Maughan wanted to be part of the series of celebratory exhibits featured around the city (and country), but they had a problem: They are not known for their Shakespeare folios. Our tour guide explained to us that they decided to get creative. They pulled artifacts from other location and texts from their own collection that described the life and experience of Shakespeare in his time. Artifacts such as writing utensils and texts describing the conditions of the time made up most of their exhibit. They also borrowed Shakespearean folios from other collections to round out their exhibit.
I realize that this information doesn't seem to be important or exciting, but it is when you consider its impact on the Shakespearean conversation. You could visit the British Library and see "Shakespeare in 10 Acts" (like we did), and you would have a very different understanding of Shakespeare than you would if you had gone to Stratford-Upon-Avon and saw a Shakespearean play with a modern twist (like we did). If you went to Maughan, the picture of Shakespeare is, again, changed. In each unique exposure, the dialogue surrounding the life and work of William Shakespeare expands and becomes more complex. There simply is no "one truth" because of the variety of exhibits speaking to different worthwhile components.
Again, this idea of context comes into play. Shakespeare through a single lens is false. To understand any topic, a variety of lenses are necessary. Maughan helped to expose this truth for me.
I haven't mentioned it before now, but nearly every library we have visited has had something marking 400 years since Shakespeare. It's an anniversary that seems to be celebrated in nearly all scholarly locations. Maughan wanted to be part of the series of celebratory exhibits featured around the city (and country), but they had a problem: They are not known for their Shakespeare folios. Our tour guide explained to us that they decided to get creative. They pulled artifacts from other location and texts from their own collection that described the life and experience of Shakespeare in his time. Artifacts such as writing utensils and texts describing the conditions of the time made up most of their exhibit. They also borrowed Shakespearean folios from other collections to round out their exhibit.
I realize that this information doesn't seem to be important or exciting, but it is when you consider its impact on the Shakespearean conversation. You could visit the British Library and see "Shakespeare in 10 Acts" (like we did), and you would have a very different understanding of Shakespeare than you would if you had gone to Stratford-Upon-Avon and saw a Shakespearean play with a modern twist (like we did). If you went to Maughan, the picture of Shakespeare is, again, changed. In each unique exposure, the dialogue surrounding the life and work of William Shakespeare expands and becomes more complex. There simply is no "one truth" because of the variety of exhibits speaking to different worthwhile components.
Again, this idea of context comes into play. Shakespeare through a single lens is false. To understand any topic, a variety of lenses are necessary. Maughan helped to expose this truth for me.