18 & 19 October 2018  |  Amiens, France

John Baskerville (1707–75) was an English typographer, printer, industrialist and Enlightenment figure with a worldwide reputation. He not only designed one of the world’s most popular and important typefaces, he also experimented with casting type, improved the construction of the printing press, trialed a new kind of paper and refined the quality of printing inks. His typographic experiments put him ahead of his time, had an international impact and did much to enhance the printing and publishing industries of his day.

Baskerville, however, was a prophet without honour in his own land and ‘only in France did he meet with the encouragement he undoubtedly deserved.’ This conference considers the impact of Baskerville in France from the eighteenth century to the present day. Papers will present the technical, aesthetic, literary, political or philosophical influences of Baskerville on France and France on Baskerville.

SPEAKERS

Caroline Archer-Parré (Centre for Printing History & Culture, UK) John Baskerville: art and industry of the Enlightenment; Albert Corbeto (EINA, Centre Universitari de Disseny i Art de Barcelona , Spain) Baskerville in Spain; Malcolm Dick (Centre for Printing History & Culture, UK) John Baskerville: art and industry of the Enlightenment; Nelly Gable (Imprimerie Nationale, France) Punch cutting; Patrick Goossens (Independent Scholar, Belgium) Questions surrounding Baskerville’s printing innovations and their introduction in to France; Jérôme Knebusch (Lorraine School of Fine Arts, Metz, and National Institute for Typographic Research, Nancy, France) Messine, a type family between Baskerville & Didot for scholarly purpose; Aurélie Martin (Ligatus Research Centre, UK) Bound with France: French bindings on Baskerville editions and their owners; Barry McKay (independent Scholar, UK) Baskerville’s Papers – plain and coloured; James Mosley (University of Reading, UK) Baskerville after Baskerville; Alexandre Parré (Baskerville Society, UK) John Baskerville: art and industry of the Enlightenment; Quentin Schmerber (Graphic and type designer, France) Temeraire: when a French millenial rediscovered Baskerville’s legacy, an exploration into English vernacular; Marc Smith (France); Thomas Huot-Marchand (Atelier National de Recherche Typographique, A N R T Nancy, France)

Organisers Dr Caroline Archer (Centre for Printing History & Culture) & Dr Sébastien Morlighem (ESAD Amiens)