The Droeshout Distortions

©2000 R D Miller

The images below are from The Norton Facsimile, entitled:

"THE FIRST FOLIO OF SHAKESPEARE

Based on Folios in the Folger Shakespeare Library

Collection"

Prepared by CHARLTON HINNMAN

I have divided the distortions into four

general sections for convenience only.

It is my hypothesis that these distortions

are manuscript writing disguised by the

background crosshatching.

The Second Edition (1996) is, according to the Photographic Department at The Folger, made from contact sheets.

Engraving Distortions:

Field 1 >>>

Field 2 >>>

Field 3 >>>

Field 4 >>>

I scanned the printed page in the Norton at 1200dpi.tiff format.

FIELD 1 @ 1200dpi reduced to 72dpi.jpg format in Photoshop with very little degredation from the original large scan.

There appear to be two lines in this field, the first beginning with what looks like an "X" but also resembling a "W" or perhaps an "S".

FIELD 2 @ 1200dpi reduced to 72dpi.jpg format in Photoshop with noticeable degredation from the original large scan.

One line in what looks like manuscript writing once again.

FIELD 3 @ 1200dpi reduced to 72dpi.jpg format in Photoshop with very little degredation from the original large scan.

One line in what looks like manuscript writing.

FIELD 4 @ 1200dpi reduced to 72dpi.jpg format in Photoshop with very little degredation from the original large scan.

There are two large areas of darkness below Field 4 which extend down to the bottom left tip of the "flat rough" (Terry Ross) in which it is not possible to make out any possible writing.

Field 5 >

Field 5b >

Field 6 >

Field 6b >

Field 6c >

	The left half background crosshatching is noticeably darker than the right half. This becomes obvious when one looks at the very top of Shakespeare's head and examines the tiny crosshatchings and the patterns they are arranged in. In the exact top center of the Droeshout the difference is abrupt, and continues consistently on each side. See below. (Notice that in the left portion there appears to be horizontal linesspanning the background, while the right side hatching seems to slope down and to the left.)

Top of Shakespeare's head:

Crosshatching: background field on the left side of the Droeshout, with its unique style of design.

Crosshatching: background field on the right side of the Droeshout with more white spaces in the hatches and in a decidedly left downward sloping design.

Here is a good enlargement of the left side distortions.

Please send your comments to me.