[Please note: In its current version (version 2, January 2018), the EMLoT database includes records pertaining to the eight theatres north of the Thames -- the Red Lion (1567), the Theatre (1576), the Curtain (1577), the Fortune (1600), the Red Bull (1604), the Boar's Head (1602), the Phoenix or Cockpit (1616), and Salisbury Court (1629) -- as well as the theatres south of the Thames in the historic county of Surrey -- Newington Butts (1570s), the Rose (1587), the Swan (1595), Globe I and II (1599, 1614), and the Hope (1614), as well as the bearbaiting arena(s) in the same area.]
For a description of the type and scope of material contained in the Early Modern London Theatres (EMLoT) database, please see the Introduction.
For guidance on how to properly cite EMLoT in your work, please see Introduction: How to cite EMLoT.
The EMLoT database comprises a number of interlinked records of different types: Transcription Records, Primary & Secondary Sources, Events, People, Troupes and Venues. Due to the way in which EMLoT's data is structured and interlinked, navigating through the database can be an open-ended multi-directional journey if you click on a new link in every record you view. However, you will likely want to navigate between a search results list and the individual records comprising that list, be that a list of matching records generated by a search or a list of associated records linked to a particular record. In either case, you can backtrack by clicking on your browser's Back button.
There are two ways to search the EMLoT database: by Keyword(s) or by using the faceted Browser. The search pages are accessible by selecting 'Search the Database' and then, in the submenu, selecting either 'Keyword Search' or 'Browse Search'.
Keyword Search
To search by keyword(s), enter one or more words into the search box in the left column. Below the search box, you can select whether you want to search for your keywords in Primary Sources, Secondary Sources, People, Events, Troupes or Venues (Events is selected by default). Definitions of these record types can be accessed by placing the mouse cursor over the question mark buttons; a pop-up box will appear with the definition. Definitions of some of these record types are also available on the Key Terms page (see submenu above).
To execute a Keyword search, select the 'Go' button to the right of the search box. The matching records will display in the Matching Records Display on the right. The number in parentheses in the 'Matching Records' headings is the total number of records returned by the search. To view a particular record, click on the portion that is highlighted (in blue). This will take you to the page of the selected record; you can return to the search/matching records page by clicking on your browser's Back button.
For the record type you have selected, the keyword search will search for each word you have entered. For example, if you entered 'Christopher Beeston' and selected 'People,' the Keyword Search will search for and return all people records where 'Christopher' OR 'Beeston' appears as a Forename OR Surname.
To search using the same keyword(s) in another record type, select the desired record type from the submenu in the Matching Records Display. The search results will refresh according to your selection.
Browse Search
Explanation
The faceted Browser, the primary navigation of which is located in the column to the left, allows you to start with all the records in the EMLoT database and then narrow your search through various facets and elements within those facets. The facets are grouped according to the following categories: Document: Description, Citation, Event & Person, Troupe & Venue, and Dates. Selecting these categories opens up submenus that contain the facets, which, when selected, open up further menus of the elements of these facets. The number in parentheses following each element represents the number of records in which that element appears. The facets and their elements constitute authority lists, created by EMLoT's editor, that have enabled the standardization, classification and sophisticated searchability of EMLoT's content.
How to Use
When you select an element, your selection will appear in the Selected Elements Display above the Matching Records Display. When an element is selected, the number of occurances of the other elements decrease or elements disappear to reflect the matching records that are associated with the selected element. Elements can be removed by clicking on the X button next to the element in the Selected Facets Display.
To use the faceted browser effectively, you should have a clear sense of your search goals, or at least a clear sense of the next step in your search. For example, if you wanted to search for primary sources relating to the Phoenix/Cockpit Theatre, you would select the Troupe & Venue category, then the Venue Name facet, then the Phoenix/Cockpit element. This element would then appear in the Selected Elements Display under Troupe & Venue, and the matching records displayed below.
In the Matching Records Display, there is a submenu of the various record types. 'Transcription Records' is selected by default. This displays a list of Secondary Sources and their Authors and the Primary Sources (and their Authors) these Secondary Sources have transcribed, accompanied by a summary of the content of the Primary Sources (in the Event column). This list includes every discrete transcription of every primary document in secondary sources in the EMLoT database relating to the Phoenix/Cockpit theatre. If you wanted to see just the related Primary or Secondary Sources, or the People, Event or Troupes associated with the Phoenix/Cockpit, you would select the appropriate submenu item.
For example, while there are (as of this writing) 194 Transcription Records relating to the Phoenix/Cockpit theatre, by using the submenu, you can discover there are only 66 Primary Sources and only 40 Secondary Sources, which indicates that these 40 Secondary Sources transcribed discrete portions of the 66 Primary Sources a total of 194 times. If you were only interested in plays associated with Phoenix/Cockpit, you could select the Play element from the Document Type facet in the Document: Description category. This returns a list of 26 Primary Documents (the plays) and 57 Transcription Records.
Column headings in the Matching Records Display that appear in blue can be clicked on to re-sort alphabetically (A to Z or Z to A) the Matching Records according to the content of that column.
Clicking on any blue (linked) item in any column will open a new browser window with more detailed information about that item. Note: for the Transcription Records view in the Matching Records Display, the Transcription Records are accessed via the 'Page' column.