Literary superstars Jane Austen and Will Shakespeare meet the origins of modern celebrity in Folger Shakespeare Library’s Will & Jane: Shakespeare, Austen, and the Cult of Celebrity.

Both in anniversary years—400 since Shakespeare’s death, and 200 for Austen—this exhibition delights fans of the artists, and anyone curious about the historical evolution of modern celebrity, expressed through these two celebrated figures. Exhibits feature early versions of fan fiction, celebrity tsotchkes, and the many movie and TV adaptations that have sustained the fandom of Will & Jane —two writers on a first-name basis with much of the world.

A perfect fall mix of entertainment and intellect, the exhibition explores the very nature of celebrity and how we continue to reinvent and “idolize” Shakespeare and Austen in popular culture, with events and objects that bear more than a striking resemblance to contemporary celebrity.

On view through November 6.

This post is brought to you by the Folger Shakespeare Library.