John Lennon’s Victorian Circus Poster Lovingly Remade by Artists and Engravers

This wondrous little video is, as they say, guaranteed to raise a smile. According to Beatles legend, John Lennon was shooting a promotional film for “Strawberry Fields Forever” in early 1967 when he passed by an antique shop and discovered a poster from 1843 trumpeting the arrival of Pablo Fanque’s Circus. The circus, the poster proclaimed, was to be “for the benefit of Mr. Kite.” Intrigued, Lennon bought the quirky Victorian poster, hung it on his wall at home, and then proceeded to write “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!,” the seventh track on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Almost 45 years later, Beatles fans still can’t shake the poster from their minds. And, just recently, Peter Dean and a team of artists decided to recreate the poster using traditional methods of wood engraving and letterpress printing. They share their experience in the elegant video above. Your can buy your own copy of the limited edition print here.

via Kottke

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