1/20/2010

Key Points

Earliest Mark Making - 2000 BC
Village culture and later civilizations were only possible because of writing
Papyrus made the first illustrated manuscripts possible
Chine created the first book - Diamond Sutra 860 AD
China also created the first paper, relief prints, and movable type
Phoneticians narrowed alphabet to 22 letters
Greeks stole and refined it; also created Uncials- rounded, evolved into lower case
Latin alphabet added letters to get to 26
Christians created the Codex
Illuminated Manuscripts- elevated books, gave them a magic air, is why books look like they do
Vatican Virgil was the earliest illuminated manuscript
Celtic book design used first space between words; was the hallmark of illuminated manuscripts
Douce Apocalypse used the first black letter
Textura was created during the gothic period, was the first type printed by Gutenberg
Incunabula was created in 15th century; set up how books were made
Psalter in Latin was the first color book
Griffo was first italic face
Claude Garamond eliminated Gothic style
1705 - letter forms become a conceptual idea
Modern style arrived in the late 18th century
San Serif was created but mostly ignored until the 1830s

This class informed us on the origins of type and why it is the way it is. It was very eye opening seeing how writing has basically created the modern world as we know it. Without writing none of the ancient civilizations would have been able to accomplish what they did or even form. It allowed laws to be made and got rid of some of the randomness in their lives. Writing also brought about Christianity and shaped the Industrial Revolution. Without books and writing Christianity wouldn't have had nearly the magical air it holds. The printing press shaped the Industrial Revolution and allowed us to move forward.