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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC00496.042 |
| From Archive Folder | Documents Relating to 1822 |
| Title | Thomas Jefferson to James Ronaldson regarding the design of a new typeface |
| Date | 18 July 1822 |
| Author | Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) |
| Recipient | Ronaldson, James |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Docketed by Ronaldson. Jefferson compares the typeface specimen (probably Ronaldson and Binney no. 1) to those used in a book in the mid-eighteenth century, and is cheered by the prospect of human progress. Ronaldson-Binney's first typeface was the first typeface designed in America and became the basis for "Monticello" the font used for printing the modern edition of the Papers of Thomas Jefferson. |
| Subjects | President Science and Technology Printing Literature and Language Arts |
| People | Ronaldson, James (1768-1842) Jefferson, Thomas (1743-1826) |
| Place written | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Theme | The Presidency; Arts & Literature; Science, Technology, Invention |
| Sub-collection | The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859 |
| Additional Information | Note: Not in Bergh or Ford, but compare Bergh 12: 293-96, a letter of introduction from TJ to Dupont de Nemours in 1809, for Ronaldson, who sought antimony for his business. Ronaldson, in partnership with Archibald Binney, was the first American typefounder. Together they introduced original "modern" roman typefaces to America. Robert Bell, a London printer, introduced his modern roman "Bell type" in the 1770s. He issued inexpensive editions of important writers, and is said to have been the first British printer to eliminate the long "s" in his presswork. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859 |
| Transcript | Show/hide |