Can't resist

A printers "hellbox" is where old type goes to die. Thrown into a convenient receptacle because it's worn or damaged, hellbox type finds new life only by being traded to the typefounder, who melts it down to make brand new type.

After the Wayzgoose in Phoenix, we traveled to Skyline Type Foundry in Prescott. I had a reasonably full hellbox to trade in-- but this pic shows the granddaddy hellbox of them all. It's from the International Printing Museum, where I volunteer once a month.

Even after the feeding frenzy of the Goose, and our new purchases at Sky's, could any of us resist pawing through it? Might there be good sorts? There were a few still-wrapped fonts in there!

Thanks to Tom Parsons for this shot.

Back to the shop!

After a lengthy drive to the Wayzgoose, committing typographic excess, I'm back to my little (typograhic) composing room. I laid away three fonts today, and a fourth yesterday. Perhaps some examples are in order.

Ransome Initials 

Missal Initials

 Pencraft Initials (BB&S), name courtesy of John Horn
from the Letpress Discussion List

These aren't the only ones: these were some used faces I purchased. I also have five brand-new fonts to put away. Typographic excess wasn't hyperbole!

Stay tuned!