Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611

  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
Baskerville: The Biography of a Typeface

Baskerville: The Biography of a Typeface

Garfield, Simon

Hardcover

Series: The ABC of Fonts

General DesignArt & Popular CultureTypography & Calligraphy

Publisher Price: $22.99

ISBN10: 1324086203
ISBN13: 9781324086208
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
Published: Oct 22 2024
Pages: 144
Weight: 0.45
Height: 0.70 Width: 4.50 Depth: 7.40
Language: English

When Baskerville was first created in 1757, there was concern that it would damage readers' eyes with its combination of thin and thick strokes and tapering serifs. Yet 250 years later, it remains one of the most commonly used typefaces in books of all kinds. As best-selling author Simon Garfield tells it, the tale of this elegant typeface is one of painstaking dedication. The font's creator, John Baskerville, was a maverick lacquer maker and master printer who made it his life's mission to achieve the font's perfection. His efforts culminated in his magnificent Bible, acclaimed as the finest ever made. Garfield explores why Baskerville's own body was dug up and buried many times before finally being allowed to rest in peace, and examines his legacy through the work of his wife, Sarah Baskerville--one of the first powerful women in the printing world--and the archivists and enthusiasts working to preserve the font's original steel punches today.

2 different editions

Also available

Also from

Garfield, Simon

View All

Also in

Typography & Calligraphy

View All