Inspired by the industrial heritage of Cornwall, the theme of the 2026 CPHC/Print Networks Conference is Print, Printing and Industrial Heritage. It will be held at Kresen Kernow, Cornwall 10-11 June 2026. Deadline for abstracts is 31 January. More here: www.cphc.org.uk/updates/2025...

This morning, in Birmingham, a blue plaque commemorating the life and work of John Baskerville was installed on the facade of Baskerville House. Hurrah!

Played for a Herbal. A lovely new Books from the Old School Press. www.cphc.org.uk/updates/2025...

#BirminghamHistory Don’t forget to Join us for the annual Chris Upton Memorial Lecture on Monday 3rd November, 5.30pm - tinyurl.com/UptonBaskerville Ref: MS 897,Volume II, Image 218 #LibraryofBham @typetweets.bsky.social #BaskervilleSoc

If you are knocking around the Library of Birmingham on 3 November, then I'm giving a little talk on Baskerville's death, burial and post-mortem life and dispelling some of the myths that surround his demise and after life. www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

Still time to book to hear Dr David Osbaldestin's talk 'Birmingham as seen through its display typography'. David Osbaldestin will present a range of interconnecting stories told through the display typefaces and jobbing printers of the city. www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

So sad to hear of the death of Prof Michael Twyman, who nurtured many budding printing historians (including me) and whose support of and contribution to typographic history is celebrated in the most recent issue of the 'PHS Journal', demonstrating the breadth of his knowledge.

Join us for the annual Chris Upton Memorial Lecture on Mon 3rd November at 5.30pm tinyurl.com/UptonBaskerv... Professor Caroline Archer-Parré will be giving her talk: Inhuming and exhuming: John Baskerville’s death, burial, and post-mortem life #LibraryofBham @typetweets.bsky.social #BaskervilleSoc

Pleased to announce that on this day is published 'Script, print and letterforms in global contexts' edited by Sahar Afshar and Darryl Lim for CPHC and published by PeterLangGroup www.cphc.org.uk/script-print...

This will be a lovely job for someone. Assistant Keeper Grade 1, Rare & Antiquarian Books National Library of Ireland. www.nli.ie/about-us/wor...

Just twelve ticket left for wonderful Theatre(ish) performance of 'Baskerville & Birmingham' (Bab!). Get them whilst you can. macbirmingham.co.uk/events/baske...

The vice chancellor says he's bringing much needed change - and anyone who disagrees can get out of his way www.birminghamdispatch.co.uk/a-new-vice-c...

Imperturbable! He manages to sleep in the midst of our building works. What a talent.

So sad to hear of the death of James Mosley (1935-2025) yesterday. His contribution to printing history cannot be over-estimated, and his development and steering of St Bride Library is a wonderful legacy. He and his knowledge will be missed by many.

Our librarians, it seems, are no longer known as librarians but Business Partners, which tells you all you need to know about the institution's attitude to culture and learning.

And if you are in Cambridge in September then you might like to see Baskerville @UCamArchaeology where Birmingham-based Theatre(ish) will perform an 80-minute show which looks at the life and work of the famous printer (plus some of our research!) www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

If you are in Birmingham in September then you might like to see Baskerville on stage at the MAC where Birmingham-base Theatre(ish) will be performing a 80 minute show which loos at the life and work of the famous printer (plus some of our research!) www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

Does anyone have any knowledge of a French punch cutter by the name of Fevrier(?) who may have cut some Baskerville punches for Deberny et Peignot? Many thanks in advance.

To enter the Midland History Essay Prize, the essay must be a genuine work of original research, not published or accepted for publication as an article or a chapter in an edited collection book. Max. 10,000 words, including footnotes, tables and figure captions (2/2) More Details 👇

The Midland History Essay Prize of £400 is offered for the best essay submitted on an historical subject relating to midland England. ⏱️Deadline for entries 31 Oct 2025 See webpage for some #OpenAccess examples of previous winning essays More details about how to enter below (1/2)

If you were hoping to come to the Association of European Printing Museums conference in Birmingham you may be disappointed as we are now fully booked. To those who already have tickets we look forward to welcoming you at Winterbourne in September, to those who missed out, sorry 😞

He will be greatly missed.

Thanks to the generosity of the Bibliographical Society we still have two subsidised tickets for postgraduate attendance at the forthcoming Print Networks conference. Don't let the opportunity pass. www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/print-netw...

'From Provincial to Regional A conference in memory of Peter Isaac and John Hinks', 23-24 July, @winterbournehouse.bsky.social. A few tickets remaining, £95 for two days. A bargain. See here for the great lineup of speakers and link to booking: www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

There is still time to register for the BBTI Workshop in Birmingham. It's free but only a few places left. Led by Giles Bergel, the workshop will explore new uses of the BBTI dataset while also provide an historical overview of how it came to be. www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

If you are in Birmingham, then do drop in a take a look.

Researching any aspect of history of the midlands? Then this is for you 🫵 The Midland History essay prize offers a first prize of £400.00 and opportunity for your research to be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Deadline for entries 31 October 2025 🎃 #skystorians #PhD

The next History Series evening at the Marx Memorial Library, London, looks at the Wapping Dispute & Printworker Organisation. The event is both hybrid and free. www.cphc.org.uk/updates/2025...

Jenny Uglow: ‘A Year with Gilbert White’. Summer Weinrebe Lecture. Tuesday 17 June 2025. University of Birmingham. This lecture series brings together thinking about place with some of the most exciting current work in the fields of biography and life-writing. more.bham.ac.uk/artsofplace/...

A box full of 3D printed Baskerville punches made by Small Performances team members in the School of Jewellery, Birmingham - and re arranged as Punch Henge!

At our university, in a bid to save money, at least one Research Professor has been instructed to give a day a week of their time to managing health and safety, a task which is now the largest percentage of their work. What an insult and a waste of academic talent, and surely puts people at risk.

#SundayShowcase All things #Baskerville - why not read one of the essays on the great man in John Baskerville : art and industry of the Enlightenment, edited by Archer-Parré & Dick. Ref - L 78.1 #LibraryofBham @typetweets.bsky.social‬ #BaskervilleSoc

There’s still time to catch the #JohnBaskerville exhibition in the library foyer before it closes Thursday. The exhibition coincides with the 250th anniversary of Baskerville’s death and presents the man, his typeface, books and legacy #LibraryofBham ‪@typetweets.bsky.social‬ #BaskervilleSoc

Speakers announced for the Association of European Printing Museums conference in Birmingham, in September. Hope to see some of you there. www.cphc.org.uk/events/2025/...

For those interested in bookbinding, this looks like a lovely course at Hereford Cathedral. www.cphc.org.uk/updates/2025...

New exhibition in London on Susan Shaw, founder of the Type Archive. www.cphc.org.uk/updates/2025...

Call for contributions. www.cphc.org.uk/updates/2025...

Family photo: the Small Performances research team and Advisory Board at the School of Jewellery this week, before getting down to business.

#Baskerville 2025 is the 250th anniversary of the death of John Baskerville, Birmingham industrialist, best known for the typeface bearing his name. Unveiling of a Blue Plaque recently took place at The Exchange #LibraryofBham @typetweets.bsky.social

Baskerville and @theul.bsky.social on the BBC this week. (23 minutes and 17 seconds in) www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

The Small Performances team visited the archives in the Library of Birmingham last week. Read all about it here: www.instagram.com/p/DJKRFaTtQq...

A close up of the Baskerville slate in the Library of Birmingham. You can clearly see how he worked his graver in different ways to achieve various effects. The slate itself is incredibly fine and thin and would have taken skill to work and handle

Yesterday in Birmingham, Simon Garfield, author of Just My Type, unveiled a blue plaque in honour of the city's eighteenth century typographic genius. Unfortunately, it had to be made with Times not Baskerville 😞

In 1754 Harvey's dad received Baskerville's proposal to print 'an elegant edition of Virgil'. Harvey evidently thought this scrap of postal advertising was fair game for his pen and ink.

So how do you photograph shiny, 6pt punches in all their exquisite detail? Read the latest blog from Small Performances: baskervillepunches.org/overcoming-c...

A rather nice Nice chocolate Easter cicada

A very short blog on the work we are doing to design a digital revival of Baskerville’s original type. baskervillepunches.org/type-revival...

Enjoying how Deberny et Peignot in its typewriter correspondence used little red initial characters to mark new paragraphs.

There is still time to register for the CPHC Postgraduate conference celebrating the Centre's first 10 years. The event is free of charge, lunch is included, and there's a great lineup of current doctoral students. All generously supported by @bibsoc.bsky.social. www.cphc.org.uk/events/2024/...

The Midland History Essay Prize 2025 is now live! Submit an article relating to the history of the Midlands and be in with a chance of winning £400, plus publication in our journal. The deadline for entries is 31st October 2025. See the attached flyer for further details.