This week, as the world marks the 462nd birthday of William Shakespeare, we celebrate with one of the most captivating items in the Wormsley Library collection, an exquisite set of engraved illustrations from John Bell’s landmark 1775 London edition of Shakespeare’s plays.

Featuring two rare portraits of the Bard alongside 71 illustrations of celebrated actors, including David Garrick in performance, and bound in a magnificent red Morocco cover by master craftsman Samuel Christian Kalthoeber, this is a piece that connects Shakespeare’s genius to the golden age of his theatrical legacy.