Type Archived: Treasures of the UK's National Typefounding Collection

Richard Ardagh discusses Type Archived, his recently published book documenting the story and collections of London's legendary Type Archive — a repository of some 8 million items forming a tangible history of typography and printing in the UK.

From the ancient materials of Sheffield foundry Stephenson Blake and the woodletter factory of Robert DeLittle in York, to the precision hot-metal machinery of The Monotype Corporation, the book traces the full arc of British typographic history. Ardagh studied punchcutting and matrix-making with senior staff on site until the Archive's closure in 2023 and will share his experiences of "engineering the word."

Ardagh is a typographer and partner at artisan letterpress studio New North Press, known for beautifully produced art publications.

In person at The Cooper Union's Rose Auditorium and live-streamed on YouTube.