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History of Typography
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The Encyclopaedia Britannica's page on typography offers a detailed explanation of typography mostly from historical and artistic perspectives. This resource looks at typography through a critical lens, comparing it with other writing methods and exploring the social aspects related to typography. This resource has a detailed historical section which explores writing practices and their relation to typography's evolution. Relevant articles also found in the Encyclopaedia Britannica are referenced and linked in the text. This resource focuses mostly on typography in printed forms, though some information to digital applications is present.
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Johann Gutenberg is considered the inventor of typography through his design of various typefaces to be used via printing press. Gutenberg's invention of printing in this fashion is heralded as one of the most impactful in history. Theo Mortimer provides a detailed exploration of Gutenberg's contributions, engaging in a thoughtful discussion of history and other methods from the time of Gutenberg's inventions. The text continues through time to the modern age, connecting the impact of a past invention with contemporary practices. This article can be found on JSTOR. If you do not have institutional access, you can create an account to read limited articles for free each month.
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The Gutenberg Bible is the first widely printed book in Europe (that we know of!). Finished in 1456, the text is composed of 1282 pages printed with metal, movable type. The typeface used in this was meant to imitate traditional gothic script, which was favored in Germany at the time. This font is still used today, and is often one of the fonts found in the drop-down menu of word processing software! Look for "Textura" or "Gutenberg Textura". This book can be viewed through Internet Archive.
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Type : A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles, 1628-1938 is a visual guide to typeface design from 1628 to the mid-20th century. The book pulls from a typeface collections and catalogs to explore the changes of the printed letter. More than letters, the book also explores ornamentation examples as well as lithography, sign-writing, calligraphy, and more. This text has many useful visual examples, though some do criticize the content for its lack of depth in detailed analysis of typographic themes. Find this book at a library near you through WorldCat.
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Print and Power in Early Modern Europe (1500-1800) offers a contemporary perspective on print and its relationship to power. This is not a text about the study of typography, but it is relevant because typography is directly linked with print, which had huge implications for the world upon its invention. This text is a great place to start if you are curious about the impact the printed word can make on world events. This book is part of the Library of Congress's open access collection.
