Robin Hood, Famed Outlaw of His Time, and a Hero for All Time

Louis Rhead's Bold Robin Hood and His Outlaw Band, illustration of Robin Hood and Little John, 1912

Robin Hood, Famed Outlaw of his Time, and a Hero for All Time, is a digital exhibition that examines the relationship between Joseph Ritson’s Robin Hood: a collection of all the ancient poems, songs, and ballads (London, 1795), the first scholarly edition of collected stories of the famed outlaw, and select historical texts from the Schulich-Woolf Rare Book Collection alongside later editions of Robin Hood stories in the Children's Literature Collection. In doing so, this exhibition examines how the stories and myths have evolved. The exhibition demonstrates how texts inform, communicate with, and build upon one another across eras, while highlighting W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections' efforts to preserve these connections.

While this project examines literature and its endurance, the connections observed do not necessarily imply direct relationships or influences between texts. Rather, they are intended to elevate readers' understanding, and to signify the importance of reoccurring themes in relation to the same fictional heroes or historical figures.