All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; they have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts…

As the celebration of 400 years of Shakespeare continues, what better way to celebrate the dramas of everyday life than to look at ways in which the Bard’s works have been collected in book form? One of the most unusual collections is surely that of Neale and Margaret Albert, who have commissioned exquisitely crafted editions in miniature. Now on view at the Yale Center for British Art, in New Haven, the exhibition, titled The Poet of Them All: William Shakespeare and Miniature Designer Bindings from the Collection of Neale and Margaret Albert, presents nearly one hundred books of plays and sonnets, as well as books by, and inspired by, Shakespeare, none of which measures over three inches in height. Each volume is uniquely bound by book artists working in leather, paper, cloth, wood, metal and embroidery, in the United Kingdom, the United States and across the globe.

The Albert collection includes copies of 19^th-century miniature editions published by William Pickering in London, and volumes from a miniature set published by Knickerbocker Leather and Novelty Company, New York, around 1910, all of which were taken apart and re-bound by book artists commissioned by the collector. For his copy of King Henry IV, Part I from the Knickerbocker set, George Kirkpatrick, who lives near Canterbury, created an enclosure that interprets the tomb of King Henry IV within the cathedral  (photo left courtesy YCBA).

The centerpiece of the exhibition is a group of 39 copies of a miniature book inspired by Cole Porter’s 1948 musical, Kiss me Kate (which was based on Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew), with drawings by Seymour Chwast. The book was designed and printed by Leonard Seastone, at his Tideline Press, in an edition of 50 copies. Mark Cockram's copy, below, takes advantage of the concertina format to evoke an Elizabethan gentleman's ruff. The artist wrote, "Every book I bind is a challenge, be it a miniature, a lectern tome, or an installation. I try to engage with the totality of the book; my work is only part of the alchemy of the book." About his copy of Brush Up,  he continued, "The stylized pouting lips drawn on the covers hint at the reward of a secret/illicit kiss." (photo below, right, Peggy Roalf)

The miniature books and enclosures on view present the art of book binding at its zenith in terms of artistic interpretation and production, no doubt due to the fact that Neale never tells an artist what he is looking for. Instead, he invites each designer to create a binding that has never been done before. To one artist he wrote, “You do what you want and I will love it.” 

One of the most unusual books in the exhibition is a heart-shaped miniature volume that collects Shakespeare’s love sonnets, encased in an embroidered red goatskin cover. Created by Stephen Byrne and Marian Byrne, who live and work in Scotland, this beautiful little book represents the artistic collaboration of the couple, who turned to the art of the miniature book about ten years ago. At the preview last week, they spoke about how they divide the work, from the initial stages of conceptualizing a piece to the design and execution of the hand-set typography, letterpress printing (done by Stephen), and the finely finished covers (done by Marian).

The accompanying publication, with an introduction by designer binder, conservator and book historian James Reid Cunningham, presents the Albert’s collection within the context of the larger field of artist books—and within the continuum of literature. The history of miniature books, a subject for many at the periphery of the publishing world, is given solid ground, as is the interest in small books for educational use. Miniature books within the field of artistic binding—a rare endeavor for sure—can be seen as almost inevitable.   

“The Poet of Them All”: William Shakespeare and Miniature Designer Bindings from the Collection of Neale and Margaret Albert has been curated by Elisabeth Fairman, Chief Curator of Rare Books and Manuscripts at the Yale Center for British Art. A fully illustrated publication, featuring an essay by the book historian and designer binder James Reid-Cunningham, is published by the Center, with Yale University Press. Info Mr. Reid-Cunningham’s opening night lecture can be viewed here.

The Poet of Them All: William Shakespeare and Miniature Designer Bindings from the Collection of Neale and Margaret Albert continues at the Yale Center for British Art, 1080 Chapel Street, New Haven, Connecticut, through August 21^st. Info Public programs continue, with a screening of “Kiss Me Kate” and an exhibition tour next week. Info Selections from Brush Up Your Shakespeare were recently presented, in a different form, at the Grolier Club in New York City. Info PRreview

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