As part of the multiple-site events of the State Library’s Rare Book Week 2025, the Penrith Museum of Printing is staging a free 2-hour session on Tuesday 21st October (1.30-3.30pm), where it has invited three expert speakers to explain how fonts were created, the impact of the Linotype machine and the evolution of book structures.
The Penrith Museum of Printing is in the grounds of the Penrith Paceway (trots) and was established in 2001, based on a typical 1940's printing house. The museum holds a collection of printing machinery and equipment ranging from mid 1840’s to the 1970’s.
As a working Museum featuring Linotype and Letterpress machines, these presentations will be followed by live demonstrations of these processes and even the opportunity to try your hand at setting (12pt) type, letter by letter.
Amongst the rare books that will be on display at the museum, will be beautiful facsimiles of the Gutenberg 42-line Bible, an early 1916 edition of one of Australia’s top-selling books, CJ Dennis’ Songs of a Sentimental Bloke and even examples of Box Wood engravings, along with a myriad of other historical books and newspapers.
The history of typeface and fonts
Printing industry expert, Andy McCourt, explains: “The European invention of Gutenberg's printing press, using moveable type, almost 600 years ago, launched a whole new industry of typography – typeface design. The earliest typefaces, moulded and cut by Gutenberg himself, were in the Gothic style to mimic the hand-letters of scribes.”
Illuminated facsimiles of the Gutenberg Bible will be amongst the 'rare' items on display“As printing spread around Europe like wildfire, first to Italy and then to Holland and England, new-look typefaces improved legibility and popular appeal as literacy grew with the Renaissance. The Italian influence favoured Roman typefaces, as carved into Trajan’s column for example. Thus was the genesis of Roman typefaces, later to be adapted in France by Claude Garamond, in England by Caslon and John Baskerville and later still as the famed Times New Roman.”
“Before long there was an explosion of typefaces and type design and foundries became a huge industry with names familiar to us today – Sabon, Baskerville, Bodoni, Clarendon, Perpetua and hundreds more, all set into lines by hand compositors.”
“Remarkably, all these typefaces are now on almost every computer on the planet, as type or font choices!”
“Around 1884, the invention of the Linotype and, later, Monotype revolutionised print production and the evolution of book and newspaper structures. Mass media was born.”
Attendee numbers for this event will be limited due to space constraints, so booking is strongly recommended, by phone on 0408 412 708 or by email to the Museum’s President: ralockley07@gmail.com
