Finally, some fun stuff to post. Ever wonder what shopping was like in Shakespeare’s day? Did young Will hang out at the local equivalent of the mall, listening to the 400yr old version of CDs?
The Folger Library has a new exhibit on exactly this subject. The “Royal Exchange”, Britain’s first shopping mall (according to co-curator Linda Peck), housed 120 tiny shops and was opened by Queen Elizabeth in 1570. I like the story that the merchants moved their goods around between the shops behind the scenes so that the queen would not see how empty it was.
