Latest updates

Craft, Texture, and Aesthetics of Letter Forms from Antiquity to the Present

At the start of September, the Small Performances team were privileged to participate in a unique three-day conference at the University of Cambridge: “The Craft, Texture, and Aesthetics of Letter Forms from Antiquity to the Present”, and to present two updates on the Baskerville project. Two of the Small Performances team, Marcos Martinon-Torres and Maciej […]

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Make your Mark, Theatre(ish) perform Small Performances

The Small Performances team was so thrilled to host a unique performance of ‘Make Your Mark’ a theatre piece researched, written and performed by Theatre(ish) our wonderful theatre collaborators, from Birmingham.   Theatre(ish), the brilliant and talented Marcus Paragpuri and Antonia Parker Smith, worked extensively with schools in Birmingham taking the Baskerville story and his […]

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Association of European Printing Museums conference

The Small Performances team was delighted to have the opportunity to present the Baskerville project at the annual Association of European Printing Museums’ three-day conference which this year investigated the relationship between printing history and the heritage sites that are custodians of the material evidence of print. The conference was held at Winterbourne House & […]

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The Baskerville Carriages

 Small Performances team members, Caroline Archer-Parré, Ann-Marie Carey, Maciej Pawlikowski, Liam Sims and advisory board member, Malcolm Dick, were invited to attended a ‘Specialists Day’ at Nottingham Industrial Museum to observe two rather carriages. Organised by the Carriage Foundation in conjunction with the Baskerville Society were were invited to a close-up observation of the collection’s […]

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Capturing Craft: The Making of the Baskerville Punches

A new exhibition, ‘Capturing Craft: the making of the Baskerville punches’ opened on Wednesday 2 July at The Hive, Birmingham and aims to shine a spotlight on the precision tools used to create the timeless Baskerville typeface – and the legacy behind it. The exhibition is part of the ‘Small Performances’ project. As well as […]

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Baskerville makes the BBC news

Between March and May an exhibition to celebrate the life and work of John Baskerville was on display in the foyer of the Library of Birmingham. The purpose of the exhibition was partly to promote ‘Small Performances’ and partly to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the death of John Baskerville. By Happy coincidence the unveiling […]

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Baskerville Blue Plaque Unveiling

John Baskerville is one of England’s most important historical figures whose contribution to eighteenth-century Birmingham, the Republic of Letters, the progress of industry and the development of the Enlightenment, and, of course, to typography have never received civic acknowledgement that he deserves. This was rectified at an event on Wednesday 30 April at The Exchange, […]

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Advisory Board Meeting

The combined ‘Small Performances’ research team from Birmingham City University and the University of Cambridge came together with the project Advisory Board in Birmingham 12–13 May to discuss the project’s progress and the next steps for the research. Presentations and round-table activities took place at two little known BCU sites, St Paul’s Square which houses […]

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Overcoming challenges for precision photography

Baskerville Punches are small, shiny and dark metal objects. The main body of the punch is known as the shank. The face of the punch is the side that contains the engraved design of the letter or character. This design is cut in reverse and in relief into the steel bar. For the project we […]

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John Baskerville 1707–75 printer, publisher, typefounder, deist

‘John Baskerville 1707–75 printer, publisher, typefounder, deist’ is a new public exhibition which presents the life, work and lasting legacy of Baskerville alongside some of the research that has been undertaken. The exhibition, which opened in the foyer at the Library of Birmingham on 8 March and runs until 22 May, coincides with the 250th anniversary of […]

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