Have you ever wondered how we preserve and study the tiny, intricate tools used to print books centuries ago? At the heart of the Baskerville Project lies a fascinating technique called Reflectance Transformation Imaging (RTI) also known as Polynomial Texture Mapping (PTM), a digital method that lets us explore the surface of historic metal punches […]
In 2025 our typeface designers, Riccardo Olocco and Michele Patane ran three very successful type revival workshops at the University of Reading, UK; Atelier national de recherche typographique Nancy, France; and École cantonale d’art de Lausanne, Switzerland. In each instance Riccardo and Michele worked with students on MA type face design courses to design a digital revival […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 & […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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, […]
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 […]