By salvaging and using artifacts of printing history, individuals and institutions have preserved the craft of letterpress. Through interwoven anecdotal and historical evidence, we will explore the relationships of characters – human, metal, and wood – that connect letterpress’s survival through an unusual custodian, David W. Peat, and his extraordinary collection of 19th-century type. Seventy-three years ago Peat’s collection began with an 1873 Franklin Type Foundry specimen book filled with ornate Victorian faces. He now holds a period of typographic history in his basement print shop in the form of 4,000 fonts of type and a rare collection of specimen books of the same era. Acquired from backyard chicken coops, transported in cigar boxes, and recast from the ATF Vault – both the fonts and stories of the acquisitions are essential elements of the artifacts’ history. Without knowing the future significance of his unique collection, from 1962–71 Peat printed 38 pages of his “One Line Specimen” book. With his help we are completing the project: cataloging, researching, and printing the OLS for dissemination and to give sustained life to his type. Through his willingness to share his knowledge, Peat exemplifies the camaraderie of the letterpress community. We are preserving that legacy for the next generation.
Discursions of David W. Peat, type collector and character
Erin Beckloff
Erin Beckloff is a letterpress printer, designer, educator, and filmmaker (Pressing On 2017) who preserves anecdotal and technical knowledge of printing history and culture with a focus on education and community. She serves as an Assistant Professor of Communication Design at Miami University and has an MFA in Graphic Design from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Beckloff has given presentations at ATypI Antwerp, two Hamilton Wood Type & Printing Museum Wayzgoose conferences, UCDA Design Education Summit, Type@Cooper New York, College Book Art Association Conferences, as well as taught workshops and lectured at universities across the US and UK. Website: letterpresseducators.com/
Katherine Fries
Katherine Fries, a studio artist/educator specializing in printmaking, letterpress, foundations, and painting explores storytelling and preservation through the understanding and use of objects as biography. Fries, Associate Professor of Studio Art at the University of Indianapolis, holds an MFA from Miami University. Fries actively shares her scholarly pursuits in a variety of ways including but not limited to presenting at international and national conferences, exhibiting her artwork locally, regionally, and nationally, as well as collaborating with community organizations and students. Previous conference presentations have included; ATypI: Association Typographique Internationale, College Book Arts Association, and Foundations in Art: Theory & Education. Website: www.katherinejfries.com