[2], Caslon was born in Cradley, Worcestershire in 1692 or 1693[1] and trained as an engraver in nearby Birmingham. At the beginning, she was a promising student at the Rhode Island School of Design, where one of her professors was the type designer Charles Bigelow, the designer of the Lucida, Apple Chicago, Apple Geneva and Wingdings fonts, among others.After studying under Bigelow again at Stamford, and receiving one of the few degrees in their digital typography program, Twombly went to work in Bigelow’… James ultimately combined under his own direction nine old English Foundries. He watched as the work of the printing industry unfolded and as a natural extension of his translation work he became intent on bringing the printing and publishing arts to England. William Bowyer, who printed Parliamentary reports before Hansard, and also numerous learned and literary works, induced caslon to set up a foundry and his type, caslon, was an Fig 1. These, as well as all of their consecutive revivals, are referred to as Caslon. Born in 1692 in Cradley, Worcestershire, young William Caslon did his apprenticeship as an engraver and toolmaker with London-based Edward Cookes. After William Caslon I's death, the use of his types diminished, but saw a revival between 1840-1880 as a part of the British Arts and Crafts movement. William Caslon I founded the Caslon Foundry in 1739, based on what previously had been Godfrey Head's (1685–1700). William Caslon. William Caslon I (1692 – 1766), also known as William Caslon the Elder, was an English gunsmith and designer of typefaces. The subsequent proprietors were: Henry Caslon II and F. F. Catherwood, 1809–1821; Henry Caslon II, H. W. Caslon and M. W. Livermore (trading as Caslon, Son and Livermore), 1821–1840; Caslon & Son, 1840–1850; H. W. Caslon and Co., 1850–1873. The Caslon design is still widely used today. They started a foundry of their own in direct competition to their employer in 1757. William Caslon Mid-eighteenth century British punchcutter and typefounder, who solidly established British typefounding with well-crafted copies of earlier Dutch designs. Though his name would come to be identified with an enduring style of Latin alphabet, Caslon's first typefaces were what contemporary typefounders called "exotics." Caslon was born in 1692 in Cradley, Worcestershire, England. [9], Meanwhile, following his sale of his share in the original foundry in 1792, William Caslon III had purchased (in the same year) the Salisbury Square foundry from the estate of the recently deceased Joseph Jackson, and renamed it W. Caslon & Son. [8] Both partners died in 1809. However, the Company name remained H. W. Caslon and Co. Ltd., and continued running until 1937, when it was acquired by Stephenson Blake. Around 1720 he created an extended set of serif typefaces. [8], Following the death of William Caslon I in 1766, his son William Caslon II took over the Caslon Foundry, running it with the assistance of his wife, Elizabeth née Cartlich, until his own death in 1778. William Caslon (1692-1766) holds a scroll of type specimen sheets in this printed portrait – … His son, William Caslon (1720-1778), who had been partner with his father for some years, continued the business. into contact with printers. Born: 1692Birthplace: Cradley, Worcestershire, EnglandDied: 23-Jan-1766Location of death: London, EnglandCause of death: unspecified, Gender: MaleRace or Ethnicity: WhiteOccupation: Typographer, Nationality: EnglandExecutive summary: English type designer. In 1816, British printer William Caslon IV developed the first widely known sans serif typeface, the Egyptian font. Overview The Englishman William Caslon punchcut many roman, italic, and non-Latin typefaces from 1720 until his death in 1766. Caslon was born in Cradley, Worcestershire in 1692 or 1693 and trained as an engraver in nearby Birmingham. born 1692, Cradley, Worcestershire, Eng. William Caxton [d 1491], England’s first printer, learned the craft in Cologne, where only German gothic types were used. -former apprentice to William Caslon-began the trend of sand casting large, bold display letters-his specimen book included a "proscription, or posting letter of great bulk and dimension, as high as the measure of twelve lines of pica!" Caslon’s eldest son, William, joined him in the typefoundry after 1735 and by about 1742 was a partner who continued to expand their line of fonts. died Jan. 23, 1766, Bethnal Green, London English typefounder who, between 1720 and 1726, designed the typeface that bears his name. He died on 23 January 1766, and was buried in the churchyard of St Luke Old Street, London, where the family tomb is preserved (bearing his name and others). As a result of a legal dispute over the terms of her will, the Foundry was then thrown into Chancery and put up for auction in 1799. Caslon had two apprentices in his Sheffield Foundry, Thomas Cottrell and Joseph Jackson. In 1759 Jackson entered the Navy leaving Cottrell to carry on alone. William Caslon, 1693-1766 : the ancestry, life and connections of England's foremost letter-engraver and type-founder.. [Johnson Ball] -- A biography of William Caslon I, also called William Caslon the Elder, and English gunsmith and designer of typefaces for the prominent printers … The three printers above-named were of coune his constant customers. In 1819, William IV sold the business to the new Sheffield foundry of Blake, Garnett & Co. However, following the death of Justin Howes in 2005, the revived H. W. Caslon & Company was no longer in business, and the expanded Founders Caslon is no longer offered in the retail market. John James in the period 1716–1764 also built up by purchase what became the leading English type foundry of the 18th and early 19th centuries. William Caslon was … Carol Twombly designed this Caslon revival for Adobe in 1990, after studying Caslon's own specimen sheets from the mid-eighteenth century. [6][7], John James, William Caslon I and Baskerville were left by consolidation as the only three representatives of the trade in the country. William Caslon I was an English gunsmith and designer of typefaces. The original printing of the American Declaration of Independence was set with Caslon type, and derivatives of these typefaces continue to be used as computer fonts. In 1716 he set up in that business in Vine Street, Minories, London, and added tool-making for bookbinders and silver-chasers. Caslon’s work helped to modernize the book, making it a separate creation rather than a printed imitation of the old hand-produced book. It is used quite a lot in magazines, journals, books, and as a corporate typeface. William Caslon, the first of a family of English type founders, was born at Cradley, Worcestershire in 1692, and in 1716 started business in London as an engraver of … He began his career as an apprentice to an engraver of ornamental gunlocks and barrels in London. His typefaces transformed English type design and first established an English national typographic style. Oct 10, 2014 - Explore Emily Dahl's board "Williams and Henry Caslon" on Pinterest. Caslon®Limited has been supplying printers with innovative profit making products since 1720 when William Caslon first cut the typeface that bears his name. He acquired moiety of half of Robert Mitchell and Jacob Ilive in 1740. according to Talbot Reed's "The Old English letter Foundries"). His first design was an Arabic made at the English size (14pt), commissioned by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge before 1725, followed by a Hebrew created for William Bowyer in 1726, and a Coptic for Wilkins first used in 1731. Typographer and aspirant printer Justin Howes created , , , and in 1998. At that time most types were being imported to England from Dutch sources, so Caslon was influenced by the characteristics of Dutch types. The distinction and legibility of his type secured him the patronage of the leading printers of the day in England and on the continent. In 1720, the society for William Caslon was born at Cradley, a hamlet of Hales-Owen, in Shropshire. ... -German printer-presented his plans for a … William Caslon, the first of a family of English type founders, was born at Cradley, Worcestershire in 1692, and in 1716 started business in London as an engraver of gun locks and barrels, and as a bookbinder's tool-cutter. William Caslon IV produces the first typeface without serifs of any kind, Herbert Bayer is however this sans serif appointed the head style is ridiculed at of a newly created Apple and Microsoft reject the time. The distinction and legibility of his type secured him the patronage of the leading printers of the day in England and on the continent. The latter was a specialist in engraving ornaments on gun barrels. William Caslon I (1692/1693 – 23 January 1766), also known as William Caslon the Elder, was an English typefounder. While some printers resorted to importing superior type from Holland, many others looked for a “homegrown” solution to the problem. The use of Caslon types, discontinued about the beginning of the 19th century, was revived about 1845 at the suggestion of Sir Henry Cole, and used for printing the Diary of Lady Willoughby (a pseudo 17th century story) by the Chiswick Press. His work helped to modernize the book, making it a separate creation rather than a printed imitation of the old hand-produced book. In 1998, Justin Howes reestablished the Caslon foundry, under the name H. W. Caslon & Company Limited, with an expanded version of ITC Founder's Caslon as the company's initial product. Caslon typefaces were immediately popular and used for many important printed works, including the first printed version of the United States Declaration of Independence. Having contact with printers, he was induced to fit up a type foundry, largely through the encouragement of William Bowyer. Hailing from Worcestershire, England, Caslon developed a knack for engraving early on in life. A later and important purchase was the foundry of Thomas Grover in 1758. Several revivals of the Caslon types are widely used today. Interpretation  Caslon, William English printer. A printer in Baltimore, Md., used Caslon type to print the official copies of the United States Declaration of Independence. In ≤1477, he established a publishing business in Westminster with types produced during a year as a printer in Bruges. The history of Caslon. Caslon's types became so popular that the expression about typeface choice, "when in doubt, use Caslon," came about. See more ideas about Caslon, Typography, Types of printing. His first Latin typefaces were a roman and italic cut in the pica size (12pt), of a style that was fully realized by the publication of his foundry's specimen sheet in 1734.[5]. William Caslon, (born 1692, Cradley, Worcestershire, Eng.—died Jan. 23, 1766, Bethnal Green, London), English typefounder who, between 1720 and 1726, designed the typeface that bears his name. Caslon is a good font for body text. 1763: father and son issue the first English book of type specimens, which includes 56 alphabets by Caslon senior and 27 by his son, designed between 1738 and 1763. William Caslon II – born 1720, died 1778 – type founder, type designer. Caslon, William. The other half of that business was purchased by John James, son of Thomas James. Caslon and printing types Page showing samples of primer, English and Pica types Just as important as the printer in the history of book production is the often overlooked figure of the type founder, none more so than William Caslon (1692-1766), whose name is recalled in … CASLON, WILLIAM, the elder (1692–1766), type-founder, was born in 1692 at Cradley, Worcestershire, near Halesowen, Shropshire. Biography of William Caslon (1692-1766) Recorder and British types of printing smelter, who gained fame for the design of a font of great beauty and readability, which was one of the most used his time and model of all subsequent fonts. H. W. Caslon died in 1873, when the Foundry was acquired by T. W. Smith and partners. Caslon is the name given to serif typefaces designed by William Caslon I (c. 1692–1766) in London, or inspired by his work.. Caslon worked as an engraver of punches, the masters used to stamp the moulds or matrices used to cast metal type. Jackson left the navy in 1763 and continued to be employed in Thomas Cottrell, Neveil's court 1759–1785 Foundry for a short time. Get this from a library! In 1837, the Salisbury Square Caslon Foundry became the property of Stephenson, Blake & Co.[9]. Caslon started work as apprentice to a London gunsmith, and set up his own business in 1716 engraving gunlocks and bookbinding tools. These, as well as all of their consecutive revivals, are referred to as Caslon. [8] Henry died in 1788, and in 1792 William III sold his share of the business to his mother and his sister-in-law, Elizabeth née Rowe, Henry's widow: the two Elizabeth Caslons continued to run it until the elder Elizabeth's death in 1795. The Caslon types fell out of favour in the century after his death, but were revived in the 1840s. John Bidwell, Some Caslon Ornaments in Some American Books. [4] Having contact with printers, he was induced to fit up a type foundry, largely through the encouragement of William Bowyer.[1]. [reprint from Scribners’ Magazine] Reviews. Around 1720 he created an extended set of serif typefaces. Caslon fonts became some of the most popular typefaces of that century, throughout the English-speaking world....and the Pennsylvania-German speaking world. Justin Howes used the resources of the St. Bride Printing Library in London to throroughly research William Caslon and his types. By 1716, he started business in London as an engraver of gun locks and barrels and as a bookbinder's tool cutter. Several members of the Didot family worked in Paris as designers, printers, typographers, writers, … He died on the 23rd of January 1766. 1742: joins his father’s company. His typefaces transformed English type design and first established an English national typographic style. Beginning in the mid 1700s, American printers became enamored with the finely-crafted British fonts designed by William Caslon, an English gunsmith and typeface designer. It was bought by the younger Elizabeth Caslon, who took into partnership a distant relative, Nathaniel Catherwood. William Caslon I (1692/1693 – 23 January 1766), also known as William Caslon the Elder,[1] was an English typefounder. Caslon was commissioned to cut punches for a … For other uses or meanings of Caslon, see, William Caslon I in an engraved portrait by John Faber the Younger. They found it in William Caslon (1692-1766), a renowned engraver and tool maker. Being thus brought into contact with printers,he was induced to fit up a type foundry, largely through the encouragement of printer William Bowyer. William Caslon I was an English gunsmith and designer of typefaces. He served a regular apprenticeship to an engra- Tcr on g^un-locks and barrels, and after the ex- piration of his term followed his trade in Vine- street, near the Minories. Born in 1692, William Caslon went on to be dubbed the father of English typography. EXTERNAL LINKS Caslon: Wikipedia MyFonts search Caslon is a good font for body text. The history of Caslon. The head line on this page is "Caslon Old Face." Twombly is distinctive for many reasons, and her story has an element of mystery to it as well. William Dean Howells, The Country Printer. It is used quite a lot in magazines, journals, books, and as a corporate typeface. He served his apprenticeship to an ornamental engraver of gun locks and barrels. Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, United States Declaration of Independence, "Caslon, William, the elder (1692–1766), typefounder", "Caslon [née Cartlich], Elizabeth (1730–1795), typefounder", H. W. Caslon & Company font foundry : MyFonts, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=William_Caslon&oldid=974916072, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, Pages containing links to subscription-only content, Wikipedia articles with SELIBR identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SNAC-ID identifiers, Wikipedia articles with SUDOC identifiers, Wikipedia articles with Trove identifiers, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 August 2020, at 19:53. Elizabeth Caslon then continued to manage it jointly with her two sons, William Caslon III (1754–1833) and Henry Caslon (c.1755–1788) trading as "Elizabeth Caslon and Sons". [3] In 1716, he started business in London as an engraver of gun locks and barrels and as a bookbinder's tool cutter. In 1807, W. Caslon & Son was passed to William Caslon IV. Its popularity in England led to its being exported throughout the British Empire including the American colonies. When Jackson died in 1792 it was William Caslon I's grandson, William Caslon III who purchased the foundry in Salisbury Square. Caslon's types have achieved legendary status among printers and typographers, and are considered safe, solid, and dependable. For many years a common rule of thumb of printers and typesetters was When in doubt, use Caslon. Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile, Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile. Caslon is the first original English typeface. William Caslon, who issued his first type-specimen sheet in 1734, made a number of refinements of the Garamond style and created faces that have become traditional and are still much in use. Do you know something we don't? He was a member of the most renowned family of French printers who began working in this trade when his grandfather Francoise Didot formed the Didot foundry in 1713. This new typeface quickly replaced many of the Dutch typefaces used previously. William Caxton was an English merchant and diplomat under the employment of the Duchess of Burgundy translating French literature into English. The distinction and legibility of his type secured him the patronage of the leading printers of the day in England and the continent. Stephen O. Saxe (reviewer), Frank E. Comparato, Chronicles of Genius and Folly: R. Hoe & Company and the Printing Press as a Service to Democracy An apprentice engraver at age 13, his talent for carving into firearms and barrels did not go unnoticed. He commenced business in a separate Foundry with two fellow workman who helped to find the capital 1764 – 1792. 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