City under the Bard's spell

In 1934, John Louis Haney, president of Central High School, presented "Shakespeare and Philadelphia: An Address Delivered before the City History Society of Philadelphia." Here are some excerpts:

'Shakespeare and Philadelphia! To paraphrase the meditative Hamlet, 'What's Philadelphia to him, or he to Philadelphia?' The city did not exist in Shakespeare's day. In all his plays he mentioned America only once - a most casual reference in Comedy of Errors. Although several of his fellow-dramatists showed great interest in the fabulous lands beyond the ocean, Shakespeare was indifferent to the New World. . . . During 1616, the year in which Shakespeare breathed his last, the indefatigable Dutch navigators were exploring the regions discovered by Hudson and were making their maps of Delaware Bay. . . .

"In spite of the traditional aloofness from everything that had to do with the drama and the theater, Philadelphia was famous from its earliest days for its literary societies and its scholarly coteries. . . . The first Shakespeare Society had been established in London in 1841. . . . The Shakespeare Society of Philadelphia was organized in 1851 by four enthusiasts. . . . This group of young lawyers held meetings in the Mercantile Library building, then at Fifth and Library (Sansom) Streets. From the beginning the society had a predilection for things gustatory as well as literary. It chose for its annual commemoration the 28th of December, rather than Shakespeare's birthday, 'because of the fact that terrapin, canvasback ducks, and venison then abound, whereas there is no good thing edible to be found in April.' . . . There was also in this city a Philadelphia Shakespeare Society that was organized in 1872. . . . In the early 1880s there was also a West Philadelphia Shakespeare Society, noted as the only one of its kind composed exclusively of women.

"The Tercentenary of Shakespeare's death (1916) was widely observed in Philadelphia. The Contemporary Club devoted an evening to 'The Shakespeare Tradition in Philadelphia.' . . . From April 29 to May 21 an excellent exhibition of Shakespeariana was on view at the Academy of the Fine Arts. The Philomathean Society produced The Comedy of Errors at the Botanical Gardens on May 20. On that occasion they used a stage that was a copy of the stage in the Globe Theater in London. . . .

"Somewhat prior to the tercentenary celebration, various groups . . . considered plans for the erection of a permanent Shakespeare Memorial in Philadelphia. . . . This plan included the establishment of a Shakespeare Museum. . . . Although several varying plans were discussed, no agreement was reached. . . .

"In 1929 the Shakespeare statue by A. Stirling Calder was erected on Logan Circle, facing the Free Library. On the north side of this statue are cut the names of 10 notable actors of Shakespearean roles and . . . [among others] Asa I. Fish, founder of the Shakespeare Society."