Printing Types; Their History, Forms, And Use; A Study In Survivals (Volume II)

An authoritative map of typographic history, delivered with rare clarity. Letters reveal centuries of craft. Daniel Berkeley Updike's Printing Types; Their History, Forms, And Use (Volume II) is a lucid, richly researched account of the history of typography that traces the evolution of type forms from early modern printing through the upheavals of nineteenth century typography. Part printing typefaces reference, part typographic design study, it serves as a guide to type specimens and an essential witness to printing press history. Updike locates faces within the trades that produced them, showing how moulds, foundries and bookmakers shaped choices now read as style. The result is both practical and philosophical: a steady handbook for designers and a measured chronicle for historians of book arts and book design history alike. Readable without academic fog, this volume suits casual readers intrigued by the craft of letters as much as classic-literature collectors attentive to provenance and taste. As a graphic designers resource it offers readable context and scrutiny; as a reference it rewards collectors of printing books who seek reliable cross-references and judgements. The book's historical significance is tangible: Updike's methodical comparisons and emphasis on material survival redirected scholarship and informed generations of practice in the study of printed matter. Out of print for decades and now republished by Alpha Editions. Restored for today's and future generations. More than a reprint - a collector's item and a cultural treasure.