This year is the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death. The Bodleian Library, the university library in Oxford, is aiming to collect a set of the #154sonnets that Shakespeare wrote from letterpress printers around the world.
I've picked sonnet 85 "My tongue-tied Muse" for the "Pilloface Press" entry.
Translated by S.Y.Marshak into Russian.
Printed letterpress in red, green and black ink on cotton rag paper.
Closeup of the front side, showing relief and texture.
A small printer's mark on the reverse side.
Presentation Folder.
Detail of the presentation folder, showing printer's mark.
The inside of the folder.
An alternative, more somber folder, bound in grey bookcloth and leather
Details of the grey folder version
Printed on a Kelsey Excelsior 5x8, with oil-based inks and a dose of Jack Daniels at PILLOWFACE Press, MMXVI.
William Shakespeare
Sonnet 85
Sonnet 85
My toung-tide Muſe in manners holds her ſtill,
While comments of your praiſe, richly compil’d,
Reſerue their Character with goulden quill,
And precious phraſe by all the Muſes fil’d.
I thinke good thoughts, whilſt other write good wordes,
And like vnlettered clarke ſtill crie Amen,
To euery Himne that able ſpirit affords,
In poliſht form of well refined pen.
Hearing you praiſd, I ſay ‘tis ſo, ’tis true,
And to the moſt of praiſe adde ſome-thing more,
But that is in my thought, whoſe loue to you
(Though words come hind-moſt) holds his ranke before.
Then others, for the breath of words reſpect,
Me for my dombe thoughts, ſpeaking in effect.
Me for my dombe thoughts, ſpeaking in effect.
As recorded in 1609 Quarto edition
Bodleian Library
