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Daniel UpdikeAmerican typographer and historian of printing.
Date of Birth: 14.02.1860
Country:  USA |
Content:
- Daniel Berkeley Updike: A Pioneer in American Typography
- Foundation of the Merrymount Press
- Artistic Influences and Innovative Font Design
- Partnership and Legacy
- Influence on the Printing Renaissance
Daniel Berkeley Updike: A Pioneer in American Typography
Early Life and Introduction to PrintingDaniel Berkeley Updike was born in Providence, Rhode Island, and began his career in the printing industry as an errand boy for Houghton, Mifflin and Company in 1880. He later worked at the Riverside Press, a publishing house, where he honed his skills in the craft of printing.
Foundation of the Merrymount Press
In 1893, Updike established his own printing house. In 1896, it was renamed the Merrymount Press. One of the first publications from the press was "In the Old Days, A Fragment," a memoir written by Updike's mother, Elizabeth Bigelow Updike.
Artistic Influences and Innovative Font Design
Initially influenced by William Morris and his Kelmscott Press, Updike soon delved into the styles of printing from the 16th, 18th, and 19th centuries. He acquired several fonts and also commissioned the creation of new ones, including the Merrymount and Montallegro fonts. Updike gained recognition for his work printing books for the Anglican Church, and he also accepted commercial printing orders and advertisements.
Partnership and Legacy
In 1915, Updike partnered with John Bianchi. Updike's passion for the history of typography led him to publish "Printing Types: Their History, Forms and Use" in 1922. A revised and expanded edition followed in 1937.
Influence on the Printing Renaissance
Daniel Berkeley Updike, along with Frederick Goudy, Stanley Morison, Bruce Rogers, and Theodore Low De Vinne, was a key figure in the American "printing renaissance" of the early 20th century. His contributions to the field include the revival of traditional printing techniques, the design of innovative fonts, and the preservation of the craft of fine printing.
