Get curated editors’ picks, peeks behind the scenes, film recommendations and more.
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.
Video by London Review of Books
Director: Clem Hitchcock
Producers: Sam Kinchin-Smith, Anthony Wilks
video
Architecture
A 3D rendering of the Colosseum captures its architectural genius and symbolic power
17 minutes
video
Making
On the Norwegian coast, a tree is transformed into a boat the old-fashioned way
6 minutes
video
Nature and landscape
California’s landscapes provide endless inspiration for a woodcut printmaker
10 minutes
video
History of technology
Curious singles and tech sceptics – what ‘computer dating’ looked like in 1966
6 minutes
video
Stories and literature
Two variants of a Hindu myth come alive in an animated ode to Indian storytelling
14 minutes
video
Design and fashion
A ceramicist puts her own bawdy spin on the folk language of pottery
14 minutes
video
Information and communication
‘Astonished and somewhat terrified’ – Victorians’ reactions to the phonograph
36 minutes
video
Engineering
From simple motors to levitating trains – how design shapes innovation
24 minutes
video
Astronomy
The remarkable innovations inspired by our need to know the night sky
5 minutes