American wood type by rob roy kelly, 9780978588175, available at book depository with free delivery worldwide. Rob roy kelly march 15, 1925 january 22, 2004 was a graphic design educator and wood type collector biography. These are bold, straightforward alphabets, with serifs and graduated thick and thin strokes. The type is from the rob roy kelly american wood type collection. He wrote american wood type because it needed to be written and in doing so.
Virgin wood types friend, scott moore of moore wood type, graciously provided us with the vector files from which we had the patterns made. Rob roy kelly, 78, specialist in wood type the new york times. Forty years on, kellys seminal work remains a giant on whose shoulders we stand. Rob roy kelly american wooden type rob roy kelly 19252004 was an american educator and wood type collector, best know for his 1996 text, american wood type, 18281900.
Rob roy 1817 is a historical novel by walter scott. Notes on the evolution of decorated and large types and comments on related trades of the period a da capo paperback. Jan 23, 2018 the type is from the rob roy kelly american wood type collection. The folio, hand printed by rob roy kelly 19252004 in an edition of. Page spent his childhood on a farm in the connecticut river valley and would go on to be the most important american wood type manufacturer of the 19th century. Oct 08, 20 the rob roy kelly american wood type collection at the university of austin, texas.
In addition to the catalog noted here, rob roy kelly s american wood type. In american wood type kelly stated that gothic tuscan pointed was shown by both cooley and page in each of their 1859 specimen books. A must have book for the typography that loves the history of wood type. American metal typefaces of the twentieth century, mac mcgrew.
The rob roy kelly american wood type collection at the university of austin, texas. Rob roy kelly writes that during the civil war, page had hired women because of the manpower shortage, and finding them so adept at many of the operations in the manufacture of wood type, he continued to hire women regularly until the business sold in 1891. Rob roy kelly 19252004 was a designer and educator who researched and collected 19th century american wood type. Feb 01, 2004 rob roy kelly, a graphic design educator, historian and collector whose influential book on the history of 19thcentury american wood type prompted a major typographic revival in the 1970s, died. Aldine was a low contrast modification of the clarendon style letter set to squarer proportions. Kelsey informs me that the book is being printed digitally, ondemand, from highresolution scans. It is considered one of the waverley novels, as the author identified himself on the title page as by the author of waverley. This 2010 reissue edition of rob roy kellys 1969 publication is the most comprehensive history of wood type manufacturing. Someone sent scott a proof of an exclamation mark from hisher. He keeps a slow blog of his research at wood type research. Rob roy kelly did excellent research in compiling this book.
From the exhibitions site at rits cary graphic arts collection, the wood type exhibition. Wood type had a place in every print shop composing room. Virgin wood type s friend, scott moore of moore wood type, graciously provided us with the vector files from which we had the patterns made. Rob roy kelly, a graphic design educator, historian and collector whose influential book on the history of 19thcentury american wood type prompted a major typographic revival in. The 350page tome is being republished in paperback form by matt kelsey at the liber apertus press in saratoga, california. David is currently focusing his research on 19th century typographic form and visual culture arising from investigations of rob roy kellys american wood type collection. The alphabets are arranged according to type style. The first and most authoritative history of wood type in the united states is now reissued in paperback. His oeuvre is held at the university of texas at austin where a wonderful online resource is waiting for you to peruse. Rob roy kelly, 78, specialist in wood type the new york.
This book tells the complete story of wood type, beginning. Other than that, rob roy kelly s american wood type continues to inspire us with the talent and ingenuity shown by the early wood type makers like darius wells and george nesbitt. American metal typefaces of the twentieth century by mac mcgrew. Other than that, rob roy kellys american wood type continues to inspire us with the talent and ingenuity shown by the early woodtype makers like darius wells and george nesbitt. Thirtythree years after its most recent printing, rob roy kellys seminal book on wood type, american wood type. This type measures 11 line in size and was produced with the endcut method.
Interested in bringing a peoples curriculum for the united states letterpress workshop to your community. Feb 01, 1976 an excellent source of information about wood type, its history, technology and variety is rob roy kellys american wood type. Cloth, paper labels, and endpapers printed from wood type and ornaments. The rob roy kelly american wood type collection is a comprehensive collection of wood type manufactured and used for. The rrk, or rob roy kelly american wood type collection is a collection of over 150 nineteenthcentury american wood type specimens assembled by design educator, collector, and historian rob roy kelly. American wood type, 18281900 by rob roy kelly call number. Page in his 1859 specimens of wood type this cut of gothic tuscan pointed was shown in american wood type on page 319 and in the folio on page 90. Kelly showed specimens of these faces on pages 265 and 266 of american wood type.
He began gathering the types in the late 1950s and continued adding to the collection over the next decade. It is 1924 and 20yearold frank falls foul of his father. See all books authored by rob roy, including earthsheltered houses. Clown by roy apps paperback book for sale online ebay. The fonts have been selected from rob roy kellys extensive personal collection of wood type alphabets. The proliferation of 19th and 20th century wood type and. David shields, department chair vcuarts department of. This book tells the complete story of wood type, beginning with the history of wood as a printing material, the development of decorated letters and large letters, and the invention of. An important early reference work that predates kellys landmark study american wood type. Rob roy kelly was born in nebraska on march 15, 1925, later studying design at the university of nebraska on the g. This 2010 reissue edition of rob roy kelly s 1969 publication is the most comprehensive history of wood type manufacturing.
I was printing a book, about a subject that i knew absolutely nothing. In 1969, he published american wood type, 18281900, which was one of the first books to explore wood type in vernacular printing. An illustrated guide to letterpress printing, by glen u. Woodtyper the rob roy kelly american wood type collection. Page showed these types in most of his specimen books in the 1870s. The allure of the handmade, by david jury general printing. Cooley showed several pages of chromatic type in their c.
Rob roy kelly american wood type collection facebook. Rob roy kelly established professional graphic design programs at the. Did you know that the design lab in the college of fine arts at the university of texas, austin, is home to over 150 specimens of nineteenthcentury wood type. He is most famous for his exhaustively researched book american wood type, 18281900 1969, based on an astonishingly large personal collection now. This book tells the story of wood type, its uses and its charm. Reprints come up from time to time making this book more affordable but even in used condition it is. In addition to the catalog noted here, rob roy kellys american wood type. From the exhibitions site at rits cary graphic arts collection, the wood type exhibition a good introoverview of the craft. Page started as a printers apprentice at age 14 in bradford, vermont. Apr 17, 2020 the first and most authoritative history of wood type in the united states is now reissued in paperback.
Notable collections of original wood type are held by the hamilton in wisconsin and the university of texas at austin, collected by rob roy kelly, writer of a wellknown book on american poster types. The silver buckle press collection uw digital collections. In american wood type rob roy kelly stated that he believed this design to have originated as a wood type in america. Rob roy kelly 19252004 the noted design educator, collector, and historian began gathering the types in the late 1950s and continued adding to the. The type block does not have a manufacturers stamp. David is currently focusing his research on 19th century typographic form and visual culture arising from investigations of. Often, i will laugh when seeing the specimen of a wood type alphabetsomething that does not happen very often with digital fonts. Chromatics rob roy kelly collection american wood type.
I love typography ilt fonts, typefaces, the the lettering arts. In his foreword to the 2010 liber apertus press reissue of rob roy kellys american wood type 18281900, david shields wrote forty years on, kellys seminal work remains a giant on whose shoulders we stand. An excellent source of information about wood type, its history, technology and variety is rob roy kellys american wood type. Rob roy kelly, a graphic design educator, historian and collector whose influential book on the history of 19thcentury american wood type prompted a major typographic revival in the 1970s, died. Times noted that his influential book on 19thcentury american wood type prompted a. He is the son of an english merchant who parted from his family home in the north of england near the border with scotland. Kelly s glyph set does not include an exclamation or question mark. This version of concave tuscan was drawn based on the glyph set in rob roy kellys american wood type, 18281900. This version of concave tuscan was drawn based on the glyph set in rob roy kelly s american wood type, 18281900. From 18431849 he moved from printer to printer in towns. Adobe systems has released a large collection of digitisations inspired by nineteenthcentury wood type. Each type is identified by name and by size but not by maker. Wood type obsolete, yet in demand the new york times.
Shields holds a bfa from memphis state university and an mfa from cranbrook academy of. Rob roy kelly had a fascinating background and left a wonderful legacy for students interested in old typography. I was lucky enough to use rob roys collection of wood type at in college, and to have inherited this amazing collection of type samples. While pages specimens of wood type can be definitively dated to 1859, cooleys specimens of wood type cannot. Before joining the ut faculty in 2004, david lived in brooklyn, ny, and taught at a number of institutions in the new york. This book tells the complete story of wood type, beginning with the history of wood as a printing material, the development of decorated letters and large letters, and the invention of machinery for massproducing wood.
Proceeds from the sale of this portfolio will contribute to further education and activism through letterpress workshops. The high point of chromatic wood type production came in 1874 when the william h. Previously david was an associate professor of design at the university of texas at austin where he served as the head of the design program and as the design custodian for the rob roy kelly american wood type collection. The first and most authoritative history of wood type in the unit. Bill after serving in the army during the korean war. Rear pocket holds a folded broadside printed in three colors of wood type and ornaments. Rob roy kelly, a graphic design educator, historian and collector whose influential book on the history of 19thcentury american wood type. Kelly showed specimens of these faces on pages 265 and 266 of american wood type aldine was a low contrast modification of the clarendon style letter set to squarer proportions. This book tells the complete story of wood type, beginning with the history of wood as a printing material, the development of decorated letters and large letters, and the invention of machinery for massproducing wood letters. Signed by kelly, saxe, and rachel davis the printer. Visit the rob roy kelly american wood type collection here. The silver buckle press holdings of books, wood and metal type, hand presses, and printing equipment are part of the university of wisconsinmadison libraries. This book tells the complete story of wood type, beginning with the history of wood type as a printing material, the development of decorated letters and large letters, and the.
Notes on the evolution of decorated and large types by rob roy kelly. Kellys glyph set does not include an exclamation or question mark. He has spent a year in paris, supposedly learning the business, but actually hanging out with imagist poets. A story with character ten years of tipoteca italiana, by sandro berra and fabio zonta. Plates 111 are roman and include variations of roman style. David shields is an associate professor and chair of the department of graphic design at virginia commonwealth university in richmond. Leafing through rob roy kellys american wood type, i have yet to find one page which is not awesome, frank continued. Rob roy by walter scott adapted by robin brooks our rob roy has dispensed with the jacobite setting and updates the story to the 20th century. They made breakthroughs in styles that are still the benchmarks that we look to today. The state of the art natural building series, and more on. Notes on the evolution of decorated and large types and comments on related trades of the period a da capo paperback kelly, rob roy on. This is no doubt one of the largest aspects of davids research so far.
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