15" × 19" posters printed by Nick Sherman to promote the documentary Typeface

Typeface, a new documentary film by Justine Nagan, tells the story of an extinct profession and reveals the world surrounding woodblock typography.

Wood type is shown through the lens of the Hamilton Type Museum, a once-famous type foundry. The film takes place in three different areas in the Northern United States: the Museum in Two Rivers, WI; Post Family artists’ collective in Chicago, IL, and; Purdue Univeristy in West Lafayette, IN. All play into Typeface’s story:

The museum’s … existence is critical to the worldwide design community who are passionate about the history of their craft and its function in the contemporary field. They believe the future of the industry may lie in the past.

Advertising of the late nineteenth century demanded larger, more decorative type. Type foundries cast less metal type for display because it wasn’t economical in large sizes. Manufacturing out of wood was cheaper and allowed for more intricate characters. Pantograph machines – mechanical copiers – allowed multiple characters to be produced quickly and efficiently. The Hamilton factory became extremely successful: by the late 1800s they were one of the leading manufacturers of wood type. They soon bought competing foundries from around the States, then raised their prices. The factory, as well as the town of Two Rivers, has a rich history that comes along with this era.

From the beginning, I was a bit skeptical of a new film on design and typography. There have been a slew of design-related documentary films released since Gary Hustwit’s Helvetica came out in 2007. The ones that stand out are the films made by filmmakers outside of the graphic design community. This film was directed by documentary filmmaker Justine Nagan and produced by both Maria Finitzo and Gordon Quinn, all are part of Kartemquin Films. The entire crew appears to be quite well-versed in film making.

The one thing I truly appreciate about this film: it concisely tells a story of an inanimate object in a captivating way. There is a history and future. So many different perspectives exist when approaching the subject, and I feel this is thoroughly executed throughout the film. Designers and typographers are interviewed. They are only end-users of wood type, so pantograph operators – the cutters and shapers – become an important part of the film.

It’s quite exhilarating to see these blocks of type being put to use after such a careful crafting process. The letterforms are beautiful. I can’t imagine how strange it would be to handle it after seeing so many examples of it on my computer screen year after year. To put my opinion into perspective: my wife and I are seriously considering travelling over 2,000 miles to Two Rivers just to visit this wonderful museum. If it inspires us to drive that far to play with wood blocks, I consider the film a great success.

The Journal would like to thank Ms. Nagan and Kartemquin Films for promptly providing a screener to this wonderful film. We wish you the best of luck for your premiere. If you, dear reader, live in Chicago, be sure to go see the screening. The premiere has sold out, but tickets are still available for the Jan 30th-Feb 4th showings.