David Shields

Some noodling on the RISO w/ variants of Page & Co’s Gothic Paneled — 1st shown in 1874’s _Specimen of Chromatic Wood Type…_ & patented on 3 March 1874 as US Design Patent 7,230.
http://www.woodtyperesearch.com/chromatic-gothic-paneled/

#WoodType #TypeSpecimen #TypeDesign #letterforms #typography

23.07.2025 23:19 — 👍 5    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Numeral 5, set in 50-line Gothic Condensed on back cover of c.1890 Morgans & Wilcox specimen catalog, held in Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Green paper cover with title of 1881 Morgans & Wilcox specimen catalog printed in black ink, held in Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Columbia University.

Cream color paper title page of 1882 Morgans & Wilcox specimen catalog printed in black ink, held in Cary Collection, RIT.

HBD William Thomas Morgans born 2 July 1844! He was one of the dominant producers & innovators of wood type in the US in the late 1870s, as founding partner of the wood type companies Young & Morgans (1876) then Morgans & Wilcox Mfg Co (1880) http://www.woodtyperesearch.com/william-morgans #WoodType

02.07.2025 18:13 — 👍 9    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

I’ve updated the list of Rob Roy Kelly’s 1964 folio w/ newly located copies http://www.woodtyperesearch.com. No 5, in a private collection, was Kelly’s personal copy, recently consigned by his daughter.
#WoodType #TypeSpecimen #type #typography #LetterForms #NineteenthCentury #Archives #Bibliography

26.06.2025 16:16 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

The Coast Manual of Lettering and Designs Our goal is to scan, restore and reprint this rare piece of sign painting history for future generations to enjoy!

I just backed The Coast Manual of Lettering and Designs on @kickstarter.com www.kickstarter.com/projects/coa...

12.06.2025 20:37 — 👍 11    🔁 1    💬 0    📌 0

Cactus with yellow bloom.

Agave shoot with mountains and cloudy blue sky in background.

Blooms on cactus paddle.

Red blooms on green stalks.

(Late) springtime in the high desert.

17.05.2025 20:39 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Darius Wells born 26 April 1800 Kingsboro, NY. Invented the router (lateral revolving cutting tool) to make the 1st machine cut #WoodType in 1828. An active abolitionist he ran a station on the underground railroad in Patterson, NJ helping enslaved humans move north to Canada to live as free humans.

26.04.2025 17:34 — 👍 12    🔁 2    💬 0    📌 0

Overlapping typographic forms from 1854 Wells & Webb wood type specimen catalog. Cream colored stock with low contrast tonal value letterforms.

Overlapping typographic forms from 1854 Wells & Webb wood type specimen catalog. Cream colored stock with low contrast tonal value letterforms.

Overlapping typographic forms from 1844 L. Johnson specimen catalog. Cream colored stock with low contrast tonal value letterforms.

Overlapping typographic forms from 1827 George Bruce specimen catalog. Cream colored stock with high contrast tonal value letterforms.

Accidental typographic palimpsests, encountered in Special Collections at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
———
#WoodType #letterforms #typography #archives #libraries #collections #bibliography #TypeSpecimen #TypeDesign #TypeHistory #letterpress #type #design #NineteethCentury #Palimpsest

22.04.2025 21:49 — 👍 43    🔁 5    💬 1    📌 0

HBD Henry P Hamilton born 21 Apr 1862 youngest of 3 brothers, worked with older brthr George at _The Detroit Record_ as a printer & then with oldest brthr James at Hamilton & Baker, later Hamilton Mfg Co Credited patents USD37308 & 37309 http://www.woodtyperesearch.com/hamilton-mfg-672-673 #WoodType

21.04.2025 19:46 — 👍 12    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Not sure what will come of it, but l’m giving Bluesky’a Flashes a whirl (w/ a different account handle)…
@19cwt-obscura.bsky.social

I believe in a decentralized web (and maybe even buy into it being “billionaire-proof”) so I’m also federated at…
typo.social/@19cWT & pixelfed.social/@19cWT

07.03.2025 04:53 — 👍 4    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Howdy! As an introduction…
I’m David, he/him. A typographer & archivist. I also teach design at VCU in Richmond, VA, USA, and author & designer of _The Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection: A History and Catalog_. Wrapped up my MLIS degree and working on making my way to more archival work.

02.02.2025 21:56 — 👍 23    🔁 0    💬 2    📌 0

Here are the options on the table (which are not mutually exclusive):

1. House Dems bring articles of impeachment*

2. Senate Dems play constitutional hardball and obstruct everything

3. State AGs litigate (and prosecute) everything they can

4. Citizens march en mass

01.02.2025 16:25 — 👍 60704    🔁 16276    💬 4823    📌 1893

A friend sent me some 1980s catalogues from a Biswanath Studio in Calcutta that collect the shop’s readymade wood blocks. They feature delightful lettered units in Bangla and Latin mostly. I find it particularly educational to see the same phrases lettered in dozens of different styles.

26.01.2025 09:46 — 👍 17    🔁 4    💬 0    📌 0

Some of the best writing* on the topic of typography can be found in the _Typography Papers_ published at The University of Reading within the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication. They are now available to read online. typography.network/typographypa...

*I might be biased.

18.01.2025 00:46 — 👍 16    🔁 5    💬 0    📌 1

Paperback cover. Black silhouette of crow filled with book title and author name set in a geometric san serif centered on a yellow field.

I’m voting Anne De Marcken’s _It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Gone_ as my favorite read of 2024. It’s a lovely hybrid of genres (speculative fiction, horror, fantasy…) It also won the 2024 Ursula K. Le Guin Prize for Fiction. Compelling story questioning what it means to be human, impeccably written.

27.12.2024 17:24 — 👍 7    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Wood Type Research – George Case Setchell George Case Setchell was born December 17, 1838 in Norwich, Connecticut to William Kelly Setchell and Maria E. Case. He was a skilled type cutter and a keen inventor, who perfected the die-cut method ...

HBD! George Case Setchell born 17 Dec 1838 in Norwich, CT. He was a typecutter for Page & Co in ‘68 & later perfected the die-cut method.
http://www.woodtyperesearch.com/setchell/

#WoodType #letterforms #typography #archives #libraries #bibliography #TypeSpecimen #TypeHistory #letterpress

17.12.2024 19:35 — 👍 3    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Donald Judd concrete box high contrast shadow against bright blue sky.

Slightly different angle of Donald Judd concrete box high contrast shadow against bright blue sky.

Long shot with Donald Judd concrete box in the distance, bright blue sky.

Just spending sometime outside with the art in town.

14.12.2024 21:53 — 👍 6    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0

Great post! and, might I point out, sporting maybe one of the best ATypI conference tees.

02.12.2024 15:52 — 👍 2    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

1978 Letraset print advert showcasing new typefaces

Today in pulp I look back at the simple idea that launched a thousand fanzines: Letraset!

Launched in 1959 by Dai Davies and Fred Mackenzie it heralded a graphic design revolution that brought funky fonts and trendy typefaces to the masses... #fontsunday #booksky

01.12.2024 14:39 — 👍 576    🔁 162    💬 26    📌 37

Type Archived A publishing platform for books on visual culture

Amazing crowdsourcing project by Richard Ardagh documenting the Type Archive in London. Stunning, handsome, pretty, luxe, erudite…pick your adjectives & consider supporting the project! vol.co/collections/...
#typography #letterpress #archives #libraries #collections #bibliography #WoodType #design

27.11.2024 17:29 — 👍 14    🔁 7    💬 0    📌 1

You’re subconsciously already mapping out our mixed-reality futures (or something)

21.11.2024 00:07 — 👍 0    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

If you like specimen books, you might like this one! I’m a little biased because I had the honor of working on it, but I think it’s a genuinely cool artifact.

commercialtype.com/goods/double...

17.11.2024 21:39 — 👍 18    🔁 4    💬 4    📌 0

Thanks for the shout out! (And this reminds me to post more 🤓)

16.11.2024 19:34 — 👍 1    🔁 0    💬 1    📌 0

Dafi Kühne’s phenomenal follow up to _True Print_ arrived in my post box this morning. Wow wow. _Poster Cult!_ is an excellent addition to any library! (Plus the attention to production detail is just over the top.) #typography #posters #woodtype #letterpress #books

16.11.2024 19:33 — 👍 8    🔁 0    💬 0    📌 0