The Berkshire
Tragedy

A RECREATION OF A BRAODSHEET PRINTED IN 1705

Recreating The Berkshire Tragedy was more than just a technical exercise—it was a journey into the craftsmanship and precision of historical printing. This project deepened my appreciation for typography, from the meticulous process of typesetting to the final press run. It reinforced the importance of patience, attention to detail, and collaboration in bringing historical texts back to life.

Beyond the finished prints, this experience connected me to the legacy of traditional printing methods and the artistry behind them. The challenge of manually laying type and troubleshooting each step gave me a newfound respect for the craft. Ultimately, this was the most rewarding project I have ever undertaken, and it has only strengthened my passion for typography and historical design.

Recreating The Berkshire Tragedy was more than just a technical exercise—it was a journey into the craftsmanship and precision of historical printing. This project deepened my appreciation for typography, from the meticulous process of typesetting to the final press run. It reinforced the importance of patience, attention to detail, and collaboration in bringing historical texts back to life.

Beyond the finished prints, this experience connected me to the legacy of traditional printing methods and the artistry behind them. The challenge of manually laying type and troubleshooting each step gave me a newfound respect for the craft. Ultimately, this was the most rewarding project I have ever undertaken, and it has only strengthened my passion for typography and historical design.

THE PROCESS

This project was a meticulous recreation of The Berkshire Tragedy, a broadsheet printed in the 1800s, inspired by my discovery that Texas A&M houses a historical press room. What began as a personal exploration quickly evolved into a deeply immersive experience in historical typography and letterpress printing.

The process began with extensive research at Cushing Library, where I examined historical documents to understand the typographic conventions of the time. After collaborating with the Historical Press Room’s librarian, we determined that The Berkshire Tragedy was the most feasible piece to recreate given our available materials and timeframe.

Once the document was selected, I printed scans and conducted detailed manual markups, noting typographic elements such as small caps, drop caps, misplaced italic letters, kerning, and leading—critical details for ensuring historical accuracy during typesetting.

For the typesetting process, I used a composition stick to hand-set a 12 pt Caslon typeface, chosen due to its availability in storage. Over the course of 30 hours, I meticulously assembled the body text before transitioning it to the Common Press, where I collaborated with Maddy, the librarian, to finalize the layout. The title was set separately using Perpetua, complementing the overall design.

Before proceeding with the final prints, we conducted a test print, making necessary adjustments before locking up the composition—a crucial step to prevent misalignment or errors. The night before printing, we dampened the paper to achieve a crisp, high-quality impression.

After 50 hours of dedicated work, the final prints were completed. This project was not only a test of technical skill and patience but also the most rewarding creative endeavor I have ever undertaken.