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crocodile mystery

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: July 2021
11 lines of type: fleurons and ems
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: July 2021

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Author
The Collation

This month’s Crocodile Mystery comes from a 17th-century publication: What’s going on in this photo? Please speculate, elucidate, and/or procrastinate in the “Comments” section. Also, in case you, like I, had misremembered the source of the catchphrase we use for…

Malicious teaseling: or how a simple reference question got complicated
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Malicious teaseling: or how a simple reference question got complicated

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Heather Wolfe

We had seven excellent answers to the Crocodile, which included an image titled “Malice,” but not the text below it. The general consensus was that the cowering man was winding thread or wool off of a drop spindle. One of…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: June 2021
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: June 2021

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Author
The Collation

We’re back! Whew! After a few technical difficulties last month, we return to bring you another Crocodile Mystery. We’ll pause while the wild cheering dies down. Please consider the image below and tell us, if you can, what’s going on…

Play it again, Ham
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Play it again, Ham

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Rachel B. Dankert

As a Folger staff member, I am used to seeing Shakespeare’s face everywhere, but the image from this month’s Crocodile Mystery made even me do a double take. This month’s mystery was a stumper! The Hamlet behind Shakespeare/Yorick was Edwin…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: April 2021
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: April 2021

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Author
The Collation

Never smile at a crocodile…mystery, that is. Especially when Shakespeare looks this shocked. Which 20th century performer is holding Shakespeare’s terrified, Yorick-ified head? If you’re not too scared, leave your guesses in the comments below and come back next week…

Marks on Bindings
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Marks on Bindings

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Caroline Duroselle-Melish

Thank you for your witty guesses to this month’s Crocodile, they are great! I also need to make a disclaimer: I am far from having collected enough evidence to answer this mystery, so like you, I only have guesses to…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: March 2021
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: March 2021

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Author
The Collation

We’ve come full circle—it’s (almost) March again. Or maybe it’s always been March? Instead of breaking your brain wondering how that can possibly be, here’s a new crocodile mystery to ponder: can you guess what happened to this binding and…

Fortune’s Fools: early tarot cards
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Fortune’s Fools: early tarot cards

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Elizabeth DeBold

As several of you guessed last week, this month’s crocodile mystery showed an early tarot card. When treating a copy of a 1673 edition of Vincent Reboul’s “Le Pelerinage de S. Maximin,” Folger conservators discovered two tarot cards used to…

“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: February 2021
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“What manner o’thing is your crocodile?”: February 2021

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Author
The Collation

Welcome back to another crocodile mystery. For February, please take a look at this image (strategically cropped for maximum mystery); tell us what you think it is, and/or what it represents. We’ll be back next week with the answer!

Liverpool delft transfer-printed tiles; or, theatrical tiles explain’d
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Liverpool delft transfer-printed tiles; or, theatrical tiles explain’d

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Abbie Weinberg

Thank you for all of your guesses on last week’s Crocodile Mystery! As several folks correctly surmised, this image is pigment on ceramic! Specifically, it is on a Liverpool delft transfer-printed tile, seen here in full:  Jane Lessingham as Ophelia,…

“What manner o’ thing is your crocodile?”: December 2020
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“What manner o’ thing is your crocodile?”: December 2020

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Author
The Collation

Ack! Nearly December already? Wasn’t it just March? (Isn’t it still March?) Guess that means it’s time for another Crocodile Mystery. Take a look at the image below. It’s not pencil on paper. It’s not oil on canvas. What is…

“What manner o’ thing is your crocodile?”: November 2020
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“What manner o’ thing is your crocodile?”: November 2020

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Author
The Collation

It’s time to puzzle over another Crocodile post! This month try to figure out what the object is—and bonus points to anyone who can guess who the figure might be! As always, leave your thoughts in the comments below, and…

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