Type Foundry
The museum ranks high in its unique collection of European and oriental type matrices, letter patterns and masterfully-cut steel punches.
The hand mould device for casting types, invented by Gutenberg in the 15th century
Steel punches and matrices as the base for type casting
Casting types by hand
Ready to print!
Sample of a casting machine
In any international comparison, very few institutions can offer a comparable collection. Among the most precious of these are rare typesets such as Hieroglyphics, Chinese, Cuneiform, Runes and other non-latin and ancient alphabets.
Among the oldest is a font of matrices by the famous punch cutter Jakob Sabon of 1572, as well as an original cutting of an Old Schwabacher from the well-known type foundry of Johann Christoph Zanker in Nuremberg, Frankonia, which likewise stems from the middle of the 16th century.
We cast new metal type for hand composition from the old matrices on machines from companies such as Foucher, Paris, as well as Küstermann and Berthold, Berlin.