George Bickham and William Caslon

"George Bickham (1684-1758, engraver/artist/penman) and William Caslon (1692-1766, engraver/type designer/founder) share a great many similarities. Both apprenticed as engravers; both were celebrated English innovators; both were foremost in their respective crafts; both lived, at times, within blocks of one another; both lived to the age of 74; and both were buried in the same churchyard. Due to the nature of type's more universal application and broader commercial focus, time has fixed Mr Caslon's stature in history much more so than Mr Bickham's. However, each established what would become the standard for typography and penmanship in the 20th century."

~2017, Don Marsh~
©2017 Don Marsh