Dr. Jill E Gage

Yikes.

!!!

I would totally have bought that

Letter written in English round hand in gold ink. At the top is the salutation “Madam” written in more of a black letter style, with a very decorative “M”.

For #NationalHandwritingDay -18th c writing master Ralph Snow’s letter to his future wife, written in gold ink. Classy! #NewberryLibrary

Thank you for this!

Title page of Thomas Paine’s Common Sense (London, 1819)

Manuscript note reading “Purchased 1827. from an ale house in Magdalen Parish, through Bradfield. 0.3.6”

The anniversary of Paine’s Common Sense prompted me to look through the copies we have at home. My favorite is this 1819 edition with a note that it was purchased in an ale house. It doesn’t get more radical than 1819 + ale house!

Polytyped print of a handwritten note with a manuscript note added at the bottom. You can see the edges of the plate (like an engraved plate) along the edges

Title page of Jammes’ book L’Imprimerie Polytype: Une Officine Expétimentale et Clandestine au Service du Duc D’Orléans. 1783-1787

Polytype was essentially a copying process! It could reproduce handwriting very quickly: Franklin & Jefferson saw it demoed in Paris (TJ writes about it in some of his letter). It could also be used as a stereotyping process for printed books. André Jammes did a short book about it.

Sheet show construction of uppercase letters on a grid system

The Jammes item I probably show most often is the (20th c) prints from the original 17th c Grandjean Romain du Roi plates. Such a treat, always. Love. 💗 #NewberryLibrary

White uppercase letters on a pink background. The letters appear to be bending or twisting up off the page

A variety of lettering for different signs. Includes a delightful printer’s fist for a Sortie sign.

Another item I acquired more recently from Jammes is this suite of model letters from L. Labbé, c. 1900, including these fun Lettres Tordues. #NewberryLibrary

Prospectus of Journal Polytype in a script font.

Opening of day book from 1787, showing manuscript entries

One of my fave #NewberryLibrary acquisitions from Jammes is a collection from L’Imprimerie Polytype, the 37th of 36(!) presses in Paris -allowed only because of its use of a new polytype method of printing-incl. the 1786-7 day-book which somehow survived the dramatic shutdown of the press in 1787.

Note from Hans Baron stapled onto 1954 Jammes catalogue

André Jammes was immensely important in the building of the Wing collection at the #NewberryLibrary….

Does anyone know the origin of Isaiah Thomas’s Long Primer no. IV? I don’t find it in any Caslon specimens that I have to hand.

A 18th century illustration with a man holding a signboard while a small group of women and children crowd around him. The sign proclaims “Soap, candles, shrimps, gooseberries, and treacle “

My Trader Joe’s shopping list for later today;-)

From the hugely enjoyable Typographic Advertiser (London, 1863), a type specimen masquerading as a magazine. #NewberryLibrary

Title page of a type specimen for ATF’s Satanick, a semi-gothic typeface. It features a red “S” along with William Morris-style leafy flourishes

Advertisement with the type specimen that says The Satanick Specimen is printed with the Nathan German Printing Inks for which the American Type founders Co. is United States agent. The ad features a woodcut initial and a floral flourish

If the State Dept doesn’t want to use Calibri or Times New Roman, they could always opt for Satanick, an 1890s knockoff of William Morris’s Troy by ATF

These are great. I love Astronef Super.

This feels very @starshapedpress.bsky.social !

Just going to leave this here. What think ye of the Congress Now? (James Rivington, 1775)

Doesn’t everyone??

A chunky black and white cat stares at the signatures on a framed William Stone engraving of the Declaration of Independence

Jamie has a lot of questions about Thomas McKean. Yes, I know that the Declaration is crooked.

Handsome! I like his shirt

Woodcut lowercase “h” with two diamond cutouts resembling eyes. At the bottom is text that reads “H is for Halloween”.

Happy Halloween! Woodcut by Bob Borja. #NewberryLibrary

That frog!

Of course they would know!!😍🥰

Serious question: What happened to all those giant copies of the Constitution that I saw being carried in the protests on Saturday? Where do they live? Asking for a friend who collects Constitutions.

Indeed!

There is only one king in my life.

Our new exhibition is now open!

Holy cow!

Grey tabby cat lying with her body on the radiator and her head resting on a 19th century settee. She looks very depressed

I have never taken a photo that better captures the personality of this cat.