I formed to my self ideas of greater accuracy than had yet appeared, and have endeavored to produce a set of types according to what I conceived to be their true proportion." Having been an early admirer of the beauty of letters, I became insensibly desirous of contributing to the perfection of them. As follows: "Amongst the several mechanical arts that have engaged my attention, there is no one I have pursued with so much steadiness and pleasure as that of letter-founding. This quote is taken from the 1758 preface to his edition of Milton’s Paradise Lost and Regained. Let's turn to John Baskerville himself, to hear his thoughts on designing typefaces. Isn't it interesting that the typeface used on a circus poster LOOKS like it should be announcing a circus? Or, the typeface that is used for a western-style steak house actually LOOKS like it came from the wild, wild west? Therefore, can one surmise that it is also possible to make a Biblical typeface that conveys the Holy Word of God? If so, then the typeface design used for the Baskerville Bible would have to be a top contender.įrank DeFreitas holding his John Baskerville Bible page printed in Cambridge, England in 1763. There's no doubt that the design of a typeface can lend authority to any particular message that needs to be conveyed. Yet, I never realized that the typeface named Baskerville was designed by someone who also printed one of the most beautiful typographical Bibles in the entire world. So much so that we named our youngest daughter's middle name as Novarese, taken from the Italian Type designer Aldo Novarese. This Bible was judged differently from the others: its beauty was determined by its typography, including smoother, whiter paper, and innovations in printing production, including ink formulation.įor many years of my younger adult life, I was involved with typography and typesetting. Up until this point in time, in the eighteenth century - that's the 1700's, most Bibles were considered "beautiful" due to the quality, and or complexity, of their woodcuts, engravings, and etchings. With the Baskerville being our selection for this installment. My Wonders of the Bible podcast will have upcoming programming on all four of these Bibles. It is noted as being one of the four monumental Bibles printed throughout history, along side the Gutenberg Bible, The Doves Press Bible, and the Rogers Oxford Lectern Bible. The Baskerville Bible was printed at Cambridge, England, in 1763 by John Baskerville, born on January 28, 1706, and best known as being an English type-founder and printer. Hello, my name is Frank DeFreitas, and I would like to welcome you to Wonders of the Bible. Some Bibles are considered Beautiful just because of their typography and printing. Baskerville Bible: Heavenly Letterforms More Podcasts, photos and resources: CLICK HERE PRODUCTION NOTES: Telefunken CU-29 Tube Microphone (1945 Western Electric 6AK5 tube) Universal Audio LA-610 MKII Tube PreAmp & EQ / T4 Tube Opto Leveling Amplifier (all 1960's RCA 12AX7's, RAYTHEON 12AT7's, General Electric 6BQ5 tubes) Aphex 204 Harman-Kardon TD-4400 Tape Deck (Dolby C) SONY ES-II Magnetic Tape Steinberg / Rupert Neve digital conversion Alesis ML-9600 Mastering.īaskerville Bible: Heavenly Letterforms The Baskerville Bible is noted as being one of the four monumental Bibles printed throughout history, the others being the Gutenberg Bible, The Doves Press Bible, and the Rogers Oxford Lectern Bible.
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