The Baskerville Punches: revelations in craftsmanship

Archer-Parre, Caroline and Carey, Ann-Marie and Adcock, Keith (2020) The Baskerville Punches: revelations in craftsmanship. Midland History, 45 (2). pp. 176-189. ISSN 0047-729X

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Abstract

Eighteenth-century punch-cutting was not only difficult to execute, it was also difficult to document, therefore, knowledge of early typographic practices is generally limited. Fortunately, the punches of one of the century’s foremost English printers, John Baskerville (1707–75), still survive as the primary evidence of craftsmanship and the punch-cutters skill and the means of their manufacture. This article looks at what is known and, more importantly, what is not known about the processes, materials and techniques employed in the manufacture of Baskerville’s punches. It presents a pilot project designed to explore new methodological approaches to describing and analysing this important typographical material. It also suggests how the methodology can be applied in order to enhance our understanding of Baskerville beyond his books.

Item Type:	Article
Identification Number:	https://doi.org/10.1080/0047729X.2020.1767973
Dates:	Date Event 20 April 2020 Accepted 27 June 2020 Published Online
Uncontrolled Keywords:	3-D printing, Baskerville, bibliography, Birmingham, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge University Library, laser scanning, metal, punch-cutting, Reflectance Transformation Imaging, X-Ray Fluorescence
Subjects:	CAH20 - historical, philosophical and religious studies > CAH20-01 - history and archaeology > CAH20-01-01 - history
Divisions:	Faculty of Arts, Design and Media > Birmingham Institute of Creative Arts > School of Visual Communication
Depositing User:	Caroline Archer
Date Deposited:	07 Jul 2020 14:38
Last Modified:	12 Jan 2022 16:45
URI:	https://www.open-access.bcu.ac.uk/id/eprint/9441

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