The Art of Typewriting

‘I Am TOM. I Like to TYPE. Hear that?’ So wrote actor Tom Hanks recently, describing his love of the typewriter. The beloved typewriter – its utilitarian beauty, the pleasing percussive action of striking its keys, the singularity of the impressed page – is enjoying a renaissance across the creative industries. In this authoritative book, the authors apply their experience to mine the collection they have created over four decades to present over 550 examples produced by more than sixty of the world’s finest contributors to the genre. From the early ornamental works produced by secretaries in the late nineteenth century to more recent works that consider the uniqueness of the typewritten document in the digital age, there is an astonishing – and delightful – range of creativity in every artwork. The book features three main sections: an introduction to the history of the typewriter and its art; an expansive plate section showing key works, rendered in exquisite detail; and a reference section featuring biographies of the most influential artists and writers. Designed by top graphic design studio and typewriter aficionados Graphic Thought Facility, this is a once-in-a-generation publication, carefully curated through decades of first-hand experience to inspire a new wave of designers and artists for the future. Each cover displays a unique combination of two artworks. This was achieved through the creation of a custom algorithm that processes the data that is fed to the HP Indigo 10000 Digital Press.