Posted by Annabel Hodges (Head of Search & Analytics)
I came across this trailer on the interweb today and felt quite captivated by it. Typeface tells the tale of the Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum in Two Rivers, Wisconsin. Run solely by volunteers, the museum is the only one of its kind, "dedicated to the preservation, study, production and printing of wood type."
In today’s digital age, we take typefaces and fonts for granted, and are used to the many varieties available to us at the click of a mouse. They are such a key, revered part of daily life that typeface designs are often subject to patents, or are associated with software patents.
Wood type dates back to the 19th century, although Hamilton continued to produce wood type up until 1985. Watching Norb Brylski, 83, masterfully cut a new wood type letter in seconds serves not only as a demonstration of his amazing skills, but as a sad reminder that this fascinating industry is on the verge of extinction.
You can find out more about the movie at: http://typeface.kartemquin.com/