This lively book surveys the history, buildings, collections, and activities of the 70-year-old Folger Shakespeare Library. Built to house Henry and Emily Folger"s collection of Shakespeareana (still the world"s largest), the Folger has become a world-class resource for materials on European culture from 1500 to 1750. Among other topics, Infinite Variety celebrates the breadth of the Folger"s interests with color photographs and stories of several dozen items - a First Folio of Shakespeare; Elizabeth I"s own Bishops" Bible; a housewife"s recipe book, hand-written about 1610; paintings by Hilliard and Fuseli; early maps, music, and scientific works; theatrical memorabilia of Edwin Booth, Laurence Olivier, and Paul Robeson; and more.