Lost at Sea

For a Saturday afternoon adventure we decided to visit the Folger Shakespeare Library. I was excited to have the opportunity to learn more about this fantastic playwright. However, upon entering the library, I thought that I had come to the wrong place. After walking into the Folger Great Hall, all I could see were maps and sea tools.
Currently the Folger Shakespeare Library has an exhibit open to the public called "Lost at Sea: The Ocean in the English Imagination, 1550-1750." It is about the various maps made and used by adventurers from England during the 1550-1750 time frame. The first thing that caught my eye in the exhibit was a special globe. Made by cartographers, the Celestial globe displays all of the constellations of the night sky with their Latin names. It was used for navigation by the night sky and was also an example of a maritime passion.
Another part of the exhibit that I found to be interesting was entitled "The Ocean According to Daniel Defoe." While Defoe is most memorable for his novels and their characters (like Robinson Crusoe), Defoe actually began his career as a pamphleteer and political writer. He also invested in a variety of unsuccessful businesses including a brick factory. Ironically, he did not travel much by sea, but his interest in England's globe expansion provided him with enough knowledge to write his books. I was very surprised to learn all of this at the Shakespeare Library, but it was a great adventure! - K.F.