Born in 1706 in England, John Baskerville was a member of the Royal Society of Arts. This was a disciplinary institution in London which was create to "challenge the status quo and change the world around it 'to remove the barriers of social progress.'" They wanted to refine art, change science, and extend commerce. He started businesses that used processes such as japanning and papier mache, but overall he will be remembered as a printer and typographer. Some of his most famous jobs, include many printer works for Cambridge University, and a folio bible. One of Baskerville's biggest fans was Benjamin Franklin, also a member of the Royal Society of Arts. Franklin took John's designs back to the United States with him where they were used for federal government publishing. His designs were criticized by his competitors and eventually not used by the American government. Since his death in 1775, many new fonts have been created by type foundries that are revivals of his work and named "Baskerville" after him. During his lifetime, he also made improvements to press construction by making a flatter and more sturdy bed, making the ink blacker and able to dry faster, a increasing the quality of letter design. With the help of his punch cutter John Handy, he was able to create many typefaces and books. Baskerville was a perfectionist, which is why his first complete book wasn't produced until 1757.
John Baskerville is unique because even after his death, people are still creating typefaces named after him. He has had a great impact of the world of typography because he was creating something that was so modern and unexplored at that time. He focused on the contrast of light and heavy lines. His books were very large with wide margins. He was not only an innovative typographer, but he was also making huge advances in the production of paper and ink.
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