The Commonplace Book

Woodcuts and pictures from other people’s books, copied out with a caption apiece, as early modern readers kept commonplace books. First gathered on Twitter: #WoodcutWednesday, #NotALion and the manuscripts.

Sixteenth century

Thug Lyfe.

From: Robert Greene, A notable discouery of coosnage
Printed: London, 1591
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 12279.7)

Seventeenth century

Forget dancing like no one is watching. Dance like you’re Will Kemp.

From: William Kemp, Kemps nine daies wonder
Printed: London, 1600
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 14923)

Sixteenth century

Rabbits Gone Wild.

From: Robert Greene, The groundworke of conny-catching
Printed: London, 1592
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 12789.5)

Sixteenth century

When your side piece shows up while you’re hanging out with your main.

From: Raphael Holinshed, The first and second volumes of Chronicles
Printed: London, 1587
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 13569)

That moment when you're tenderly making love to a bull on top of a tomb.

What gluten-free fanatics believe will happen if they eat regular bread.

Sixteenth century

When you wake up, hung over, and realize who you've gone home with the night before.

From: Raphael Holinshed, The firste volume of the chronicles of England, Scotlande, and Irelande
Printed: London: for John Hunne, 1577
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 13568)

This could be us, but you playin.

For those of you who forget what the number eight looks like, Robert Fludd can help you out.

What inevitably happens when you say you're "only going out for one drink."

Tinder profile on point.

Harold took his love of trees too far this #EarthDay.

Exit pursued by [headless demon] bear.

Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 14068.3)

Sixteenth century

Exit pursued by a [headless demon] bear, [Redux].

From: A true and most dreadfull discourse of a woman possessed with the…
Printed: 1584
Image from: Early English Books Online (STC 5681)

Not my version of love, but okay.

God: Always trying to stab your cock.

When someone asks you how your writing is going.

Sweet slippers, bro.

A visual representation of anything I’ve ever written:

To complete the set, and because you can never have enough disembodied eyes.

Someone took Mark Anthony’s speech a little too literally.

That moment during a game of Twister when everyone rips off their clothes and starts fucking.

The moment your brains have been fucked out.

“Not now, Gladys.”