To understand Shakespeare’s world-wide popularity, a basic understanding of print is needed. How did all those copies of folios and plays get into people’s hands?

Today, we visited London’s St. Bride Library, which opened in 1895 and served as a printing school.

I was suprised by the extremely slow process of using a printing press. First, everything is assembled by hand. Each font type has letters on tiny blocks that have to be meticulously arranged to form words. Once the letters have been lined up and covered in ink, a long piece of paper is pressed against the blocks to produce a page.

I enjoyed examining printing samples from the Elizabethan period and comparing them to the books of today. We saw 2 versions of the First Folio which were radically different from one another. The first, produced shortly after Shakespeare’s death, was printed in a traditional Old English style font. The other, printed about 200 years later, used a boxy style lettering and elaborate framed pages.

Fact: While the printing press was in use, the process pretty much remained the same. The first books printed were mostly religious. This, of course, changed over time. I am glad there are so many books for me to choose from today.

Extra Credit: Learn about copyrights and censorship.

Don’t judge a book by its cover,

Tired feet?: Have a seat while riding the Tube!

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