Minute book of the West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club [manuscript], 1912-1917.
Items
Details
Title
Minute book of the West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club [manuscript], 1912-1917.
Description
appox. 190 pages
Corporate author
West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club (W.P.J.S.C.)
Note
This is a PRELIMINARY RECORD. It may contain incorrect information. Please email catalog@folger.edu for assistance.
From dealer's description: "Approx. 190 manuscript pages. Notebook. 4to. Quarter red sheep and black cloth boards; cloth reinforced hinges. Three tipped in club pamphlets and one typed manuscript laid in. Lacking spine; wear to the extremities... Minute book recording the weekly meetings of the West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club, a women’s social and amateur theatrical society. The minute book spans just over four years of this very active club, 1912–1917. The minutes of each meeting concern such items as club business (including correspondence from other women’s clubs), entertainments, hospitality, expenditures, memberships, rehearsals, and notices of plays by Shakespeare and other playwrights they were discussing or producing. Two, very detailed annual reports are also recorded here. Numerous names of members appear throughout the minute book. These include the names of committee members and detailed attendance tables arranged by month and meeting year, October through April. Over the years, various recording secretaries kept the minutes. Yearly club membership, excluding a few complimentary and associate members, was between 22 and 27 women from Philadelphia and the nearby suburbs, both married and single. Three printed club pamphlets, for the meeting years 1914–1915, 1915–1916, and 1916–1917, have been tipped in. Each lists that year’s club officers and course of study, as well as a calendar of meeting places, typically at members’ homes. The West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club studied such Shakespeare plays as Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, King John, Antony and Cleopatra, and Richard III. In later years, the study program included classic plays or literary works by Euripides, Marlowe, Ben Johnson, Milton, Molière, Schiller, Sir Walter Scott, etc. The women also studied modern or contemporary works such as The Rubaiyat and others by Alfred Noyes, John Galsworthy, John Masefield, August Strindberg, and Robert Frost. The club held an annual Twelfth Night festivity on January 6 and celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23. A typed manuscript laid into the minute book, possibly created for one of these celebrations, comprises a series of 22 toasts to various club members, including “our gracious Founder, lovely Harriet McIlvain.” In addition to studying Shakespeare’s plays, the women also acted out scenes from such plays as Romeo and Juliet or entire plays like The Merchant of Venice. The West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club minute book is a detailed record of an urban women’s literary society at the beginning of the 20th century."
From dealer's description: "Approx. 190 manuscript pages. Notebook. 4to. Quarter red sheep and black cloth boards; cloth reinforced hinges. Three tipped in club pamphlets and one typed manuscript laid in. Lacking spine; wear to the extremities... Minute book recording the weekly meetings of the West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club, a women’s social and amateur theatrical society. The minute book spans just over four years of this very active club, 1912–1917. The minutes of each meeting concern such items as club business (including correspondence from other women’s clubs), entertainments, hospitality, expenditures, memberships, rehearsals, and notices of plays by Shakespeare and other playwrights they were discussing or producing. Two, very detailed annual reports are also recorded here. Numerous names of members appear throughout the minute book. These include the names of committee members and detailed attendance tables arranged by month and meeting year, October through April. Over the years, various recording secretaries kept the minutes. Yearly club membership, excluding a few complimentary and associate members, was between 22 and 27 women from Philadelphia and the nearby suburbs, both married and single. Three printed club pamphlets, for the meeting years 1914–1915, 1915–1916, and 1916–1917, have been tipped in. Each lists that year’s club officers and course of study, as well as a calendar of meeting places, typically at members’ homes. The West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club studied such Shakespeare plays as Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, King John, Antony and Cleopatra, and Richard III. In later years, the study program included classic plays or literary works by Euripides, Marlowe, Ben Johnson, Milton, Molière, Schiller, Sir Walter Scott, etc. The women also studied modern or contemporary works such as The Rubaiyat and others by Alfred Noyes, John Galsworthy, John Masefield, August Strindberg, and Robert Frost. The club held an annual Twelfth Night festivity on January 6 and celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23. A typed manuscript laid into the minute book, possibly created for one of these celebrations, comprises a series of 22 toasts to various club members, including “our gracious Founder, lovely Harriet McIlvain.” In addition to studying Shakespeare’s plays, the women also acted out scenes from such plays as Romeo and Juliet or entire plays like The Merchant of Venice. The West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club minute book is a detailed record of an urban women’s literary society at the beginning of the 20th century."
Genre/form
Manuscripts (documents)
Place of creation/publication
Great Britain.
Item Details
Call number
W.b.674
Folger-specific note
From dealer's description: "Approx. 190 manuscript pages. Notebook. 4to. Quarter red sheep and black cloth boards; cloth reinforced hinges. Three tipped in club pamphlets and one typed manuscript laid in. Lacking spine; wear to the extremities... Minute book recording the weekly meetings of the West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club, a women’s social and amateur theatrical society. The minute book spans just over four years of this very active club, 1912–1917. The minutes of each meeting concern such items as club business (including correspondence from other women’s clubs), entertainments, hospitality, expenditures, memberships, rehearsals, and notices of plays by Shakespeare and other playwrights they were discussing or producing. Two, very detailed annual reports are also recorded here. Numerous names of members appear throughout the minute book. These include the names of committee members and detailed attendance tables arranged by month and meeting year, October through April. Over the years, various recording secretaries kept the minutes. Yearly club membership, excluding a few complimentary and associate members, was between 22 and 27 women from Philadelphia and the nearby suburbs, both married and single. Three printed club pamphlets, for the meeting years 1914–1915, 1915–1916, and 1916–1917, have been tipped in. Each lists that year’s club officers and course of study, as well as a calendar of meeting places, typically at members’ homes. The West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club studied such Shakespeare plays as Winter’s Tale, Cymbeline, King John, Antony and Cleopatra, and Richard III. In later years, the study program included classic plays or literary works by Euripides, Marlowe, Ben Johnson, Milton, Molière, Schiller, Sir Walter Scott, etc. The women also studied modern or contemporary works such as The Rubaiyat and others by Alfred Noyes, John Galsworthy, John Masefield, August Strindberg, and Robert Frost. The club held an annual Twelfth Night festivity on January 6 and celebrated Shakespeare’s birthday on April 23. A typed manuscript laid into the minute book, possibly created for one of these celebrations, comprises a series of 22 toasts to various club members, including “our gracious Founder, lovely Harriet McIlvain.” In addition to studying Shakespeare’s plays, the women also acted out scenes from such plays as Romeo and Juliet or entire plays like The Merchant of Venice. The West Philadelphia Junior Shakespeare Club minute book is a detailed record of an urban women’s literary society at the beginning of the 20th century." Ordered from Ian Brabner, D9184, 2018-03-30, email quote. Adopted anonymously, Acquisitions Night 2019.
Folger accession
270122