M a k i n g   R a k e h e l l

The making of Bartholomew Rakehell has been a suprisingly technical task. Recreating the look and feel of an 18th Century book requires some exacting standards not just in the writing but also in the manufacturing.

The font chosen for publication is called Baskerville 1757 and is an attempt by Lars Bergquist, its designer to get as close as possible to John Baskerville's original elegant typeface which caused so much controversy when it was originally released to a public accustomed to the traditional Caslon from over twenty years earlier. He describes himself thus:

Born in 1936, I am a leftover from the age of lead type and letterpress printing. My first avocation was history, which may well explain my love of classical letterforms, historically significant typefaces and fuddy-duddy typography in general.

The book is cloth-bound and gold foil-blocked, itself a process from an earlier age, and employs various period devices: An Epistle, Footnotes and Ancient Greek quotes amongst them.

The care with which the book has been laid out may not be immediately apparent but every detail was sweated over and where possible, no compromise made. Even the required legal jargon on copyright is in 18th Century language!