Autograph letters signed from Joseph Crosby, Zanesville, Ohio, to various recipients

Folger bibliographic ID: 230382
Folger call number: FILM Fo. 2270
Folger holdings ID: 278892

Throughout the letters Crosby refers to bleak economic conditions. He mentions the riots of July 1877 and discusses the candidacy of Governor Hayes for the presidency and of Mr. Bishop for the governorship of Ohio. In (196, 240) Crosby lauds Henry Irving's writings on Shakespeare. In (141-142) he gives his impressions of Asa Fish. (102) He saw George Rignold act Henry V, (108) Barry Sullivan act Hamlet, and (162, 167) Lilian Neilson act Juliet. (229) He discusses Edwin Forrest. (235) He attended the Shakespeare readings given by the actor (James Edward?) Murdock. In (20) Crosby encloses a "List of Complete Editions of Shakespeare, in my Library, February 7, 1875." In (122) he quotes R.H. Stoddard's poem on Shakespeare beginning, "It shall be so no more." In (142) he quotes part of a letter from E.J. Corson, ca. November 1876. In (177 and 180) he quotes postcards of March 11 and 15, 1877, from Furnivall. With (180) he encloses a program for a concert given at Ingleby's home, June 4, 1876. Part of (152) is written on the back of a letter from Emma Allen, ca. December 1876, (134) on the back of a letter from Mrs. M.E. Darlington, September 9, 1876

General notes

Joseph Crosby came from Westmoreland. He attended the University of Oxford and came to the United States about 1843. At the time these letters were written, he was a grocer and tea merchant, and a general insurance agent in Zanesville. He was a devoted student of Shakespeare and, as discussed in letter (9), collected one of the "three best private collections of Shakespearian works in America," the other two belonging to H.H. Furness and J.P. Norris. Crosby was interested in textual criticism, and in these letters comments at great length on many passages in Shakespeare, often suggesting preceptive interpretations. He was contemplating an edition of his own. From 1877-1878 he was president of the fledgling Shakespeare Reading Club of Zanesville; his future wife was the secretary. Crosby contributed notes to Hudson, Furness and Rolfe for their editions of Shakespeare, and also to the American Bibliopolist, Notes and Queries, Literary World and the Atlantic Monthly. From being a critic of Collier he had become a sympathetic admirer, certain that Collier had been duped. He was a friend of the glass manufacturer and poet, William Leighton of Wheeling, West Virginia Poem listed in the Folger card index of first lines Also available on microfilm

Extended title: Autograph letters signed from Joseph Crosby, Zanesville, Ohio, to various recipients 1870-1884
Alternate titles: It shall be so no more

Allen, Emma, active 1876 Corson, Enoch J., active 19th century Crosby, Joseph, 1821-1891 Darlington, M. E., active 1870-1884 Fleay, Frederick Gard, 1831-1909 Flower, C. E. 1830-1892 Ingleby, C. M. 1823-1886 Norris, Joseph Parker, 1847-1916 Stoddard, Richard Henry, 1825-1903 Wyman, W. H Brae, Andrew Edmund, -1881 Collier, John Payne, 1789-1883 Fish, Asa I. 1820-1879 Forrest, Edwin, 1806-1872 Furness, Horace Howard, 1833-1912 Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910 Hayes, Rutherford B., 1822-1893 Hudson, Henry Norman, 1814-1886 Knortz, Karl, 1841-1918 Leighton, William, 1833-1911 Murdoch, James Edward, 1811-1893 Neilson, Adelaide, 1848-1880 Rignold, George Richard, 1839-1912 Rolfe, W. J. 1827-1910 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Henry V Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Hamlet Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616. Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 Sullivan, Barry 1821-1891 Timmins, Samuel, 1826-1902 White, Richard Grant, 1821-1885 Irving, Henry, Sir, 1838-1905 Bishop, Richard M., 1812-1890 Zanesville Shakespeare Reading Club (Zanesville, Ohio) Hamlet (Legendary character) Juliet (Fictitious character) Henry V, King of England, 1387-1422

correspondent: Crosby, Joseph, 1821-1891
subject: Allen, Emma, active 1876
subject: Corson, Enoch J., active 19th century
subject: Crosby, Joseph, 1821-1891
subject: Darlington, M. E., active 1870-1884
subject: Fleay, Frederick Gard, 1831-1909
subject: Flower, C. E. (Charles Edward), 1830-1892
subject: Ingleby, C. M. (Clement Mansfield), 1823-1886
subject: Norris, Joseph Parker, 1847-1916
subject: Stoddard, Richard Henry, 1825-1903
subject: Wyman, W. H. (William Henry)
subject: Brae, Andrew Edmund, -1881
subject: Collier, John Payne, 1789-1883
subject: Fish, Asa I. (Asa Israel), 1820-1879
subject: Forrest, Edwin, 1806-1872
subject: Furness, Horace Howard, 1833-1912
subject: Furnivall, Frederick James, 1825-1910
subject: Hayes, Rutherford B., 1822-1893
subject: Hudson, Henry Norman, 1814-1886
subject: Knortz, Karl, 1841-1918
subject: Leighton, William, 1833-1911
subject: Murdoch, James Edward, 1811-1893
subject: Neilson, Adelaide, 1848-1880
subject: Rignold, George Richard, 1839-1912
subject: Rolfe, W. J. (William James), 1827-1910
subject: Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616
subject: Sullivan, Barry (Thomas Barry), 1821-1891
subject: Timmins, Samuel, 1826-1902
subject: White, Richard Grant, 1821-1885
subject: Irving, Henry, Sir, 1838-1905
subject: Bishop, Richard M., 1812-1890
subject: Zanesville Shakespeare Reading Club (Zanesville, Ohio)
subject: Hamlet (Legendary character)
subject: Henry V, King of England, 1387-1422
correspondent: Corson, Enoch J., active 19th century
correspondent: Knortz, Karl, 1841-1918
correspondent: Wyman, W. H. (William Henry)
correspondent: Stoddard, Richard Henry, 1825-1903
correspondent: Norris, Joseph Parker, 1847-1916
correspondent: Ingleby, C. M. (Clement Mansfield), 1823-1886
correspondent: Flower, C. E. (Charles Edward), 1830-1892
correspondent: Fleay, Frederick Gard, 1831-1909
correspondent: Darlington, M. E., active 1870-1884
correspondent: Allen, Emma, active 1876