Marking the 550th anniversary of William Caxton’s introduction of the first printing press to England, The English Print Revolution: Caxton and Beyond is our fourth collaboration with Senate House Library. Featuring some of the library’s oldest and rarest 15th-century printed books, chronicles, and early pamphlets, the exhibition showcased works printed by Caxton and those who followed in his footsteps, demonstrating how print transformed the spread of news, knowledge, and ideas.

Inspired by the processes of early printing, we created a series of macro medium-format photographs that evoke the tactility and craftsmanship of Caxton’s world of movable type. These images provided a rich visual backdrop to the exhibition while conveying the physical process of printmaking and exploring the relationship between the maker, the press, and the reader.

Hosted at the Bodleian Bibliographical Press in the Bodleian Library, Oxford, we spent a wonderful afternoon with master printer Richard Lawrence, photographing historic printing equipment, objects, and blackletter type from the workshop. We were also grateful for the opportunity to work with items from Senate House Library’s own type collection, allowing us to create imagery rooted in the materials and traditions that shaped England’s early print culture.

Previous exhibitions for which we also designed the marketing campaigns include Shakespeare’s First Folios: A 400-Year Journey, In the Grip of Change: The Caribbean and its British Diaspora, and Spineless Wonders: The Power of Print Unbound, each developed in collaboration with Senate House Library and interpretation consultant Susan Dymond.

Our role: Graphic design / Artwork

Graphic Contractor: Displayways