Dr Caroline Archer-Parré
@typetweets.bsky.social
Typographic historian. Investigator on AHRC-funded 'Small Performances'. Books: Pen+Print; John Baskerville; James Watt; Paris Underground; Tart Cards; Kynoch Press. cphc.org.uk / baskervillepunches.org
This morning, in Birmingham, a blue plaque commemorating the life and work of John Baskerville was installed on the facade of Baskerville House. Hurrah!
December 3, 2025 at 1:25 PM
This morning, in Birmingham, a blue plaque commemorating the life and work of John Baskerville was installed on the facade of Baskerville House. Hurrah!
Imperturbable! He manages to sleep in the midst of our building works. What a talent.
September 6, 2025 at 8:33 AM
Imperturbable! He manages to sleep in the midst of our building works. What a talent.
If you are in Birmingham, then do drop in a take a look.
June 26, 2025 at 5:26 PM
If you are in Birmingham, then do drop in a take a look.
Jenny Uglow: ‘A Year with Gilbert White’. Summer Weinrebe Lecture. Tuesday 17 June 2025. University of Birmingham. This lecture series brings together thinking about place with some of the most exciting current work in the fields of biography and life-writing. more.bham.ac.uk/artsofplace/...
May 28, 2025 at 12:23 PM
Jenny Uglow: ‘A Year with Gilbert White’. Summer Weinrebe Lecture. Tuesday 17 June 2025. University of Birmingham. This lecture series brings together thinking about place with some of the most exciting current work in the fields of biography and life-writing. more.bham.ac.uk/artsofplace/...
A box full of 3D printed Baskerville punches made by Small Performances team members in the School of Jewellery, Birmingham - and re arranged as Punch Henge!
May 28, 2025 at 9:05 AM
A box full of 3D printed Baskerville punches made by Small Performances team members in the School of Jewellery, Birmingham - and re arranged as Punch Henge!
Family photo: the Small Performances research team and Advisory Board at the School of Jewellery this week, before getting down to business.
May 15, 2025 at 7:59 AM
Family photo: the Small Performances research team and Advisory Board at the School of Jewellery this week, before getting down to business.
A close up of the Baskerville slate in the Library of Birmingham. You can clearly see how he worked his graver in different ways to achieve various effects. The slate itself is incredibly fine and thin and would have taken skill to work and handle
May 2, 2025 at 8:25 AM
A close up of the Baskerville slate in the Library of Birmingham. You can clearly see how he worked his graver in different ways to achieve various effects. The slate itself is incredibly fine and thin and would have taken skill to work and handle
Yesterday in Birmingham, Simon Garfield, author of Just My Type, unveiled a blue plaque in honour of the city's eighteenth century typographic genius. Unfortunately, it had to be made with Times not Baskerville 😞
May 1, 2025 at 4:45 PM
Yesterday in Birmingham, Simon Garfield, author of Just My Type, unveiled a blue plaque in honour of the city's eighteenth century typographic genius. Unfortunately, it had to be made with Times not Baskerville 😞
In 1754 Harvey's dad received Baskerville's proposal to print 'an elegant edition of Virgil'. Harvey evidently thought this scrap of postal advertising was fair game for his pen and ink.
April 25, 2025 at 1:04 PM
In 1754 Harvey's dad received Baskerville's proposal to print 'an elegant edition of Virgil'. Harvey evidently thought this scrap of postal advertising was fair game for his pen and ink.
A rather nice Nice chocolate Easter cicada
April 21, 2025 at 10:00 AM
A rather nice Nice chocolate Easter cicada
Enjoying how Deberny et Peignot in its typewriter correspondence used little red initial characters to mark new paragraphs.
March 29, 2025 at 9:32 AM
Enjoying how Deberny et Peignot in its typewriter correspondence used little red initial characters to mark new paragraphs.
Thanks to our wonderful photographer, Mark Box, in @theul.bsky.social we have some great postcards of the Baskerville punches. The hammer ends (top left) are particularly gorgeous and other-worldly.
March 12, 2025 at 9:18 AM
Thanks to our wonderful photographer, Mark Box, in @theul.bsky.social we have some great postcards of the Baskerville punches. The hammer ends (top left) are particularly gorgeous and other-worldly.
To kick off 12-months commemorating the 250th anniversary of the death of John Baskerville a new exhibition has opened at the Library of Birmingham. Free to all. Do visit. @birminghamlibdems.bsky.social
March 10, 2025 at 4:03 PM
To kick off 12-months commemorating the 250th anniversary of the death of John Baskerville a new exhibition has opened at the Library of Birmingham. Free to all. Do visit. @birminghamlibdems.bsky.social
A selection of typefounder's letterheads from the early 1960s
February 6, 2025 at 2:58 PM
A selection of typefounder's letterheads from the early 1960s
A lovely crisp and even view from the Typographic Library this morning.
February 6, 2025 at 9:40 AM
A lovely crisp and even view from the Typographic Library this morning.
I've always enjoyed this device from Fonderie Olive; hope you do too.
February 6, 2025 at 9:20 AM
I've always enjoyed this device from Fonderie Olive; hope you do too.
Someone should turn these typographic ornaments from Klingspor into dress fabrics. I'd so wear them.
February 4, 2025 at 11:25 AM
Someone should turn these typographic ornaments from Klingspor into dress fabrics. I'd so wear them.
When letterheads formed half the sheet
February 4, 2025 at 10:46 AM
When letterheads formed half the sheet
Coming to the end of a great week at University of Reading working with MA type design students on a digital Baskerville revival as part of the Small Performances project. Looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks for having us.
January 24, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Coming to the end of a great week at University of Reading working with MA type design students on a digital Baskerville revival as part of the Small Performances project. Looking forward to seeing the results. Thanks for having us.
A Baskerville asterisk punch, which looks like a snowflake, to wish you all a merry Christmas. Photography by the wonderful CHIL team at
@theul.bsky.social
@theul.bsky.social
December 25, 2024 at 6:29 AM
A Baskerville asterisk punch, which looks like a snowflake, to wish you all a merry Christmas. Photography by the wonderful CHIL team at
@theul.bsky.social
@theul.bsky.social
This little pouch is made from rags used to clean the printing blocks and presses at Winterbourne House & Garden. A lovely idea for reusing 'waste' and it was perfect gift that I was delighted to receive.
December 19, 2024 at 9:02 AM
This little pouch is made from rags used to clean the printing blocks and presses at Winterbourne House & Garden. A lovely idea for reusing 'waste' and it was perfect gift that I was delighted to receive.
Nothing quite compares to a morning hug from Jericho.
December 12, 2024 at 2:44 PM
Nothing quite compares to a morning hug from Jericho.
Came across this, err, lumpy old logo from Central Libraries Birmingham, whilst in @theulspeccoll.bsky.social last week.
December 11, 2024 at 12:29 PM
Came across this, err, lumpy old logo from Central Libraries Birmingham, whilst in @theulspeccoll.bsky.social last week.
'There will never be a more enchanted evening in typographic circles, than the one which you [Brook Crutchley] gave us at Kettner of Friday; you drew us all out and made us glow'. So wrote Beatrice Warde of the London party to celebrate the return of the Baskerville punches. Here they are glowing.
December 10, 2024 at 9:16 AM
'There will never be a more enchanted evening in typographic circles, than the one which you [Brook Crutchley] gave us at Kettner of Friday; you drew us all out and made us glow'. So wrote Beatrice Warde of the London party to celebrate the return of the Baskerville punches. Here they are glowing.
Last week in the
@theulspeccoll.bsky.social John Baskerville’s signature and wax seal of a lygon (?). Used on the Agreement between him and the University of Cambridge thereby making him printer to the same and from where he issued his incomparable bible and Book of Common Prayer.
@theulspeccoll.bsky.social John Baskerville’s signature and wax seal of a lygon (?). Used on the Agreement between him and the University of Cambridge thereby making him printer to the same and from where he issued his incomparable bible and Book of Common Prayer.
December 9, 2024 at 6:18 PM
Last week in the
@theulspeccoll.bsky.social John Baskerville’s signature and wax seal of a lygon (?). Used on the Agreement between him and the University of Cambridge thereby making him printer to the same and from where he issued his incomparable bible and Book of Common Prayer.
@theulspeccoll.bsky.social John Baskerville’s signature and wax seal of a lygon (?). Used on the Agreement between him and the University of Cambridge thereby making him printer to the same and from where he issued his incomparable bible and Book of Common Prayer.