1From Benjamin Franklin to William Strahan, 27 October 1753 (Franklin Papers)
...–1778), became the partner of his father, William Caslon the elder (1692–1766), the distinguished type founder and designer, in 1742, and upon the older man’s retirement in 1750 took over the management of the type foundry in London.
2To Benjamin Franklin from Jeremiah Miller, 11 December 1769 (Franklin Papers)
Abel Buell petitioned the Connecticut General Assembly to support his projected type-foundry; he received £100 but did not make good use of it.
3To Benjamin Franklin from [ ——— Montécot], 26 March 1778 (Franklin Papers)
...memorandum from him, dated the 6th and enclosed with the letter, stresses the importance of printing and the certainty that American presses will continue to be busy. But there seem to be no type foundries; printers must have obtained their type from England, and will need their own if the United States are to be self-sufficient. The foundry in question is well known and well equipped;...
4To Benjamin Franklin from Jonathan Trumbull, 30 May 1778 (Franklin Papers)
and Deane on establishing a type foundry in America; if an operator could be persuaded to come to Connecticut with samples of the equipment needed, he would be generously paid or taken into partnership, and the Captain would also be well reimbursed for his trouble....
5To John Adams from François Adriaan Van der Kemp, 7 January 1790 (Adams Papers)
Contrary to Van der Kemp’s view, type foundries existed elsewhere in the United States, including Benjamin Franklin’s press in Philadelphia. While the Tariff Act of 1789 did not single out fonts, they were subject to a 7.5 percent duty as metal manufactures (Isaiah Thomas...
6To Alexander Hamilton from Ernst Frederick Guyer, [12 December 1792] (Hamilton Papers)
“Estimate of Time and Expence requisite to erect a type foundry” (
7To Thomas Jefferson from Ernst Frederick Guyer, 8 January 1793 (Jefferson Papers)
On 12 Dec. 1792 Guyer had sent a similar letter to Alexander Hamilton, praying for his patronage in establishing a type foundry (
8To George Washington from Elias Boudinot, 15 March 1796 (Washington Papers)
...instrument maker from Germany, had in 1792 and 1793 solicited Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, and the Pennsylvania legislature for assistance to establish a type foundry. In 1795 he offered to provide drawings and models of “the late invented machine for making nails,” and in January 1796 he unsuccessfully petitioned Congress to encourage his work about ascertaining longitude...
9To Thomas Jefferson from John Dorsey, 20 December 1807 (Jefferson Papers)
A Type foundry has been established at this place for about 10 years past, which by indefatiguable
attention and very superior talents of the Proprietors has been brought to such excellence and conducted to such
extent as to rival European abilities quality...
10To Thomas Jefferson from John Dorsey, 26 March 1808 (Jefferson Papers)
Your suggestions in favor of the Type foundry of Messrs. Binny and Ronaldson was by them gratefully received—I think you will veiw with great pleasure the impression of Burlows Columbiad from their type which is certainly unequal’d in any Country.