temporary exhibition

Fonts that are still all around us to this day. Like a paintbrush that is used to express a person’s emotions, they are a part of our daily communications. Such fonts are rooted in European movable types. In the past, letters were printed using a kind of stamp called a movable type. The technique known as letterpress printing was created in the 15th century, and evolved during the Industrial Revolution. In particular, a countless number of European movable types were mass produced. Movable type producers sold packaged, uniform types as a product, which were called “fonts.”
This exhibition compares the European movable types fonts that were created in the Industrial Revolution to the stars of our universe. Just as there is a system for the countless stars of the universe, there are classifications for the countless movable types, each with its own background that birthed an entire industry. Please come and experience the importance of fonts, shown through actual European movable types, machines, and the manufacturers’ publications.