Replicating Shakespearean-era printing brings its own dramas and comedy

In 1623, seven years after William Shakespeare’s death, a collection of his plays titled Mr William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies was published, compiling 36 of his works. Eighteen of the plays were previously unprinted, including Macbeth and Twelfth Night. Commonly known as Shakespeare’s First Folio, the compilation is widely considered one of the most influential books in history, containing many classics that might otherwise have been lost to time.

This video from the London Review of Books (LRB) celebrates the Folio’s 400th anniversary by documenting an audacious attempt to replicate the methods used to print the book at the time of its original release. However, rather than reprinting the Folio itself, the LRB team cleverly chose a 2001 article from their magazine, by Michael Dobson, retitled as ‘A Series of Headaches’, which details the messy, challenging and extraordinarily time-consuming process by which books were made in the early 17th century.

The LRB enlists the UK designer and letterpress printer Nick Hand for the knotty project. Working through steps including making his own ink from the crushed galls of an 800-year-old oak tree and dealing with the annoying imprecision of a replica printing press, Hand ultimately sticks the landing, creating a stunning and period-accurate print. More than just a satisfying process video, the project makes for a deeply intriguing glimpse into the not-so-distant past, when the preservation and retrieval of information was far from instantaneous.

This video was supported by Folio400, a project dedicated to celebrating the Folio’s 400th anniversary.