Printing at the University Press, Oxford, 1660-1780

Details of Volume II: 'Type'

The second volume is devoted entirely to the University Press's third major resource: its type. Initially the Press was reliant on outside founders, then had its own foundry and the means to cut new faces, but by the 1730s it had ceased making its own type and was buying from the then established English typefounders, in particular Caslon and Baskerville.

The book contains sixteen photographs of contemporary documents and five photographs of ancient punches and matrices. The de luxe edition additionally contains a portfolio of leaves from books printed at the Press across the period concerned.

The book makes 168 pages and the page size is 276 mm by 216 mm, the same size as all our previous titles on Oxford University Press. The text is set in 12pt Monotype Van Dijck and printed digitally on 148gsm Mohawk Superfine paper. The end-papers are also Mohawk Superfine.

Volume II has the following contents:

Preface
Contents
Illustrations
References
Introduction
Before 1669: Collecting exotics
1668-1670: Latin types from England
1669-1672: The search for type on the Continent
1672-1675: The search for a type-founder
1676-1703: Type-founder & punch-cutter Walpergen
1677, 1686, 1695: Acquisitions from Bernard, Junius, and Hyde
1693-1706: The first three Specimens and the status quo
1703-1733: Type-founder Andrews
1733-1780: Type from Caslon
1758-1761: The acquisition of Baskerville’s Greeks
1758-1786: The later Specimens
Type-founding timeline
APPENDICES
    John Hall’s type estimates
    Sylvester Andrews’s last bill
    Type delivered to the Press from Caslon
    Quantifying Caslon’s supply of type to the Press
    The question of height-to-paper
    The price of type
Index

BINDING A: Fifty de luxe copies quarter-bound in dark brown leather with a paper specially marbled by Jemma Lewis on the boards. The texts in the portfolio have been printed letterpress in Monotype Van Dijck. The book and the portfolio of leaves are presented in a cloth-covered slip-case in brown cloth. £350.

BINDING B: The standard copies are case-bound in brown cloth, with a printed dust-jacket of gold Hahnemühle Bugra Bütten. £110. Ten copies are reserved in sheets for binders. £75.