Ringwalt, J. Luther
American encyclopedia of printing ⁄ edited by J. Luther Rinwalt
Philadelphia: Menamin & Ringwalt, 1871.
512 p., 20 leaves of plates : ill. (some col., cuts, lithographs), ports. ; 28 cm.
p.170, "Fine Printing"
In the earlier stages of the art, Jenson and the Elzevirs may be claimed as the fine printers, the latter especially becoming the model of the English, until in the early part of the 18th century, when Caslon, the type-founder, made the first great step in reform; in the middle of the century his work was continued by Baskerville, whose type and ink have been applauded to the each [sic] by bibliomaniacs. But to the modern printer the books of Baskerville are valuable only as marking the transition from the old style to the new; his type lacking that perfect symmetry of line and curve which makes good fonts of the present day completely harmonious; while his ink, though preserving its blackness, is uneven in tone, the pages differing in shade. Didot in France, may be called the next devotee of fine printing, and his remarkable excellence is evinced by the Delphini classics, which exhibit a rather lighter-faced type than the bold face of Baskerville, but charmingly uniform in color. His ligatures also are an improvement upon those of Baskerville, but so sharp and delicate that they soon become worn. Didot supplies the link between Baskerville and the great typographical revival illustrated by Bodoni in Italy, Ibarra in Spain, and Bulmer and Bensley in England.
In the latter country this stage is marked by the labors of Miller [sic] Ritchie, of Scotland [sic], who about 1780 [sic] began to exhibit remarkable elegance, showing an unrivaled richness and equality of coloring through every page, and pursuing his labors despite the failure of the necessary support from an unprepared and unappreciative public, until financial ruin compelled him to desist, to be followed by Bulmer, who was at least happier in his great renown. The interest in fine printing which became a popular mania in England, was inaugurated by the magnificent edition of the Bible published by Macklin and printed by Bensley in 1800. [.....]