Chapter 7 Reflection

Chapter 7, “The Evolution of Typographic Technology” introduces the invention of typography as the “beginning of the Industrial Revolution”. With the invention of the Linotype and Monotype machines in the 1880’s, typesetting became automated moving away from the “tedious” task of hand composition, allowing information to be shared quickly. Reading further along in the chapter several connections came to mind. The printing press, invented by Johann Gutenberg in 1450, I recall claims as it being one of the most important human inventions. Spurring the Renaissance Period, the printing press helped to spread the ideas of the Enlightenment, similar to the automated typesetting of the Industrial Revolution.

A further connection comes from a book I discussed in a prior class entitled Orality and Literacy, by Walter J. Ong. This book examines oral cultures that were dependent on their memories to remember knowledge and their past due to the lack of a written language. To put this information to memory, knowledge was repeated over and over again as well as using the same sayings or to store information within stories. These sayings and stories became colorful, were cherished and past down from generation to generation. It seems to me that even before the start of literacy, 6,000 years ago according to Ong that cultures of the past and present are not that different because information has always been an important element to the human race. It does not surprise me then, that the evolution of typography and the tools used to create it is a reoccurring important aspect to the human culture. From detailed stories, monks who tediously hand composed manuscripts, to perhaps working with dangerous molten metals to create type casts, to the current digitally produced fonts they all seem to share the common concept of designers developing innovative elements to relay information and attract attention. Therefore, I was surprised to read at the end of Chapter 7 about the importance of designers having the “knowledge of the past, present and future typesetting systems”(which were similar to my ideas)  and that with this knowledge it gives designers the opportunity to blend elements into new and interesting typographical displays.