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!!!