May 2015 saw the150th anniversary of the birth of American Type designer Frederic W. Goudy. In the tradition of those who have been influenced by and admire the work of Fred and Bertha Goudy, Twenty six contributors were invited to rise to the challenge to produce a celebratory portfolio of creative typographic works.

 

Here is the process behind my contribution.

I wanted my piece to reflect the high regard and esteem in which Frederic. W. Goudy is held while at the same time playing with type in an unorthodox way. Attempting to set a heart in Goudy Text seemed a fun way to comment on the quote attributed to Goudy...

 

'Anyone who would letterspace type would steal sheep.

Anyone who would letterspace blackletter would shag sheep'

 

...not sure what he would make of my blackletter heart!

Once I had the heart worked out I wanted to make it more specific to the anniversary and comment upon some of the character traits that Goudy needed in his long eventful life. In my garden studio I work with small chases which fit my Adana 8x5 press. This meant I had to set the type in two sections. The heart, name and character traits sit well as a stand alone postcard as well as working in the final larger piece.

 

 

Working with quite limited quantities of letters forced me to redraft the main body text several times. I also worked a change of point size into the fully justified paragraph. The switch occuring at the point the content changes from speaking of the Goudy Text typeface to celebrating the long and varied career of its creator.

Final proof. Created by carefully aligning the two small formes and printing them both together on a flat bed proofing press. Eventually after much fiddling it was ready for the gorgeous Intaglio Bronze dark Blue ink and the Somerset Velvet 300gsm paper in soft white.

 

 

The final piece. I hand finished each one by stitching a single sort of Goudy Text metal type onto the bottom of the broadsheet. I think most people may have got a digit or a less commonly used letter as I didn't want to completely deplete my cases. 

I hand cut the paper to have one deckle edge at the bottom and on the reverse I printed a tiny colphon.

After much cutting, printing, stitching and numbering the edition of 110 was ready to be parcelled up and sent and sent by the trusty Royal mail across the Atlantic to Amelia at RIT in New York.

Each contributor recieved a portfolio to coincide with the Goudy 150th anniversary exhibition at the RIT Cary Graphic Arts Collection in Rochester, New York.

 

I have now received my own artists copy of the portfolio and have spent many hours poring over the beautiful, superbly printed and intricate pieces of work. Each and every piece celebrating the typography and spirit and individuality of an amazing man. 

 

 

Portfolios were also sent to: The library of Congress in Washington, The Grolier Club in New York, The Newberry Library in Chicago and Syracuse University Library.

 

You can see all of the pieces in this project online here:

www.library.rit.edu/cary/exhibitions/goudy-150-keepsake-portfolio