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All 6 posts by

William Davis

is Senior Photography Associate at the Folger. He has done many things related to imaging and cataloging there since 1993, including working closely with the microfilm collection, completely digitizing 19 First Folios prior to the 2016 tour, and advocating for shelfmark and pagination standardization, none of which have anything to do with his training in the history of religions in South Asia.
The Address Leaf of the Early Modern Letter
detail of a handwritten letter, dark ink on cream colored paper
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The Address Leaf of the Early Modern Letter

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William Davis

Senior Photographer William Davis looks at the many ways in which an early modern letter might be addressed.

A 17th Century Letter Collection, Part 3: Farming in Early Modern England, 1630-1632
A section of a handwritten letter
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A 17th Century Letter Collection, Part 3: Farming in Early Modern England, 1630-1632

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William Davis

A final look at the Powell family letters.

A 17th Century Letter Collection, Part 2: Travelling Around Early Modern England, 1630-1632
Image of sealed letter with text transcribed above. A wax seal is visible at the top of the packet.
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A 17th Century Letter Collection, Part 2: Travelling Around Early Modern England, 1630-1632

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William Davis

A continued look at the Powell family letters.

“To the right Wor[shipfu]ll and my very louinge freinde the Lady Powell …”: A 17th Century Letter Collection
hand written letter in english secretary hand; text as quoted above
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“To the right Wor[shipfu]ll and my very louinge freinde the Lady Powell …”: A 17th Century Letter Collection

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William Davis

The first part of a series of posts examining the Powell family letters.

“Good Grief! What’s That?”: Odd Images in the Folger Microfilm Image Collection
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“Good Grief! What’s That?”: Odd Images in the Folger Microfilm Image Collection

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William Davis

A guest post by William Davis Thank you to everyone who left a guess on this month’s crocodile mystery! Everyone got a piece of it, but none the whole. It takes a stalwart person to identify some of the many quotes…

An Experiment in Following a Worm Through a Folded Letter
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An Experiment in Following a Worm Through a Folded Letter

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William Davis

A guest post by William Davis Folger staff have long been interested in folding early modern letters for mailing. It comes up periodically when someone finds a letter with unusual folds. Both Heather Wolfe and Erin Blake have written Collation…