Dec 15, 2010

Designing with Caslon


















LATELY I'VE BEEN SEARCHING and looking for designs with Caslon font and I've been running into cool print designs. Here's some of Patrick Hill's final work. Read more about Patrick Hill and look at more of his designs.

Public Art














CREATING PUBLIC ART IN the catacombs area of the cemetery in celebration of John Baskerville. Click Here to see more pictures

Designing with Caslon (Caslon Antique)

SOME WILL CALL CASLON THE FREEDOM FONT because it was the font of choice to typeset both The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution of the United States of America. For some thirty years prior to that day in 1776, Caslon was the printing standard of the British Empire. Unfortunately, Caslon’s creator, William Caslon I, passed away in 1766, and was unable to see his font in use for such magnificent purpose.

Those were exciting times of discovery, the beginnings of many traditions which found their roots in craftsmanship. Just as the New England silversmith Paul Revere would set the tradition of forging pewter “Jefferson” cups, Caslon’s insightful ability to craft beautiful letterforms grew out of his craft as metal engraver for (of all things) gun barrels! Caslon was born in 1722.

Read more at:
Designing with Caslon

Cool Baskerville Video

Dec 8, 2010

Caslon The Engraver

CASLON STARTED HIS CAREER as an apprentice to an engraver of barrels and gunlocks. In 1716 he started his own engraving shop and soon began to make tools for bookbinders and silver chasers. 

Baskervilles Books

IN 1757 HE PRINTED HIS first book “The Poems of Virgil it was printed at his house on a small press. After that he printed more work such as Milton’s Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained, Addison’s works, Aesop’s Fables, and “The poems of Horace” Baskervilles books was admired all over Europe and America, Benjamin Franklin was one of his subscribers. In 1758 he was appointed Printer at Cambridge University, where he printed a folio bible despite being an atheist.

Baskerville's Request

BEFORE HE DIED IN 1775, he asked not to be buried in consecrated ground. First he was put in a catacomb on his own land. Later in 1821 a developer cut a canal through the property, and the workmen found Baskerville's lead-lined coffin. Since it couldn't be buried in any consecrated cemetery, it sat in a warehouse until a plumber put it use as a workbench. Baskerville was finally moved to Warstone Lane Catacombs, a consecrated labyrinth where he remains today.

Dec 1, 2010

Caslon alphabet in pen













PAUL HOPPE'S FIRST ASSIGNMENT in his Typography class was to write the Caslon alphabet by hand. Here is a time lapse, its pretty damn good.
http://vimeo.com/6652339

The Lunar Society



JOHN BASKERVILLE was a member.

Mrs. Eaves at work



8 HOURS of work!!!

Nov 24, 2010

The Typographic Desk Reference



















THE TYPOGRAPHIC DESK REFERENCE is a quick reference guide of typographic terms and classification with definitions of form and usage for Latin based writing systems. TDR contains over a thousand facts on typography.
Written and designed by Theodore Rosendorf the guide includes a foreword by Ellen Lupton.

Credit

Caslon Font Family











PURCHASE THE ADOBE CASLON font family for your computer. Great package purchase (if you have the money.) Purchase Here

Body Canvas

GEMMA O'BRIEN AKA MRS.EAVES used her own body as a typographic canvas
http://www.youshouldliketypetoo.com/found-things/hot-typography-trends/

John Baskerville's Printed Bible











ONE OF JOHN BASKERVILLE'S works the Bible and the Book of Common Prayer
http://geek-life.com/2010/10/20/geeks-in-history-john-baskerville/

Nov 17, 2010

Declaration of Caslon

THE CASLON TYPEFACE WAS used for the first printed version of the Declaration of Independence.

Lunar Society

LUNAR SOCIETY OF of Birmingham 
via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lunar_Society_of_Birmingham

Mrs Eaves

MRS. EAVES TYPEFACE WAS a tribute to Baskerville's wife.
via http://blog.iso50.com/typography/mrs-eaves-long-lost-husband/

When In Doubt Use Caslon...

When in doubt use Caslon.

From Caslon with Love

Nov 10, 2010

St Luke Old Street














THE GRAVE OF WILLIAM CASLON and some of his family members is preserved in the churchyard of St. Luke Old Street, London in a tomb engraved with Caslon's very own type.Preview

Nov 9, 2010

Intro to Baskerville



A SHORT INTRO TO the Baskerville typeface.

Baskerville Animated



A SHORT ANIMATED FILM about the life, work and legacy of Birmingham's John Baskerville.

Caslon Typefaces



















CASLON TYPEFACES WERE VERY popular and used for many important printed works, including the first printed version of the United States Declaration of Independence. Caslon's types became so popular that the expression about typeface choice, "when in doubt, use Caslon," came about.

Nov 8, 2010

Caslon Invaders

A NEAT VIDEO OF CASLON INVADERS using the Ornaments in Adobe Caslon.

Nov 3, 2010

Caslon Specimen Sheet


















WILLIAM CASLON'S FIRST specimen sheet came out in 1734. On is specimen sheet Caslon showed not only a wide range of Roman and italic text and display sizes but also fonts of Hebrew, Greek, Armenian, Syriac, Gothic, Coptic, Saxon, Samaritan, and Arabic. Caslon was putting his competitors out of business at this time while his business was growing.

Nov 2, 2010

Baskerville and Sarah Eaves

JOHN BASKERVILLE WAS IN a relationship with Sarah Eaves although she was married to another man named Richard Eaves. Richard Eaves refused to divorce his wife so she could marry Baskerville, and the only way they could get married is when Richard Eaves passes away. Eventually Richard Eaves dies in 1764, and Sarah was free to tie the knot with Baskerville. Baskerville was despised for being an atheist and living with a woman for 16 years.

Nov 1, 2010

John Baskerville Japanning

IN 1738 JOHN BASKERVILLE STARTED a new trade called japanning, which made him a fortune. Japanning is the manufacture of wood or metal goods with a special varnish that usually decorated with a paint job. Since Baskerville did not label his work it’s hard to tell if any of his products survived.