The 20th century saw type developments unimaginable to the old
mid-millennium masters. We explore the history of modern
typography, tracing its form from 1900 to the present. At the
start of the 20th century, the world was in the midst of rapid
change. It was becoming consumerist and industrialised, with
advertising and a range of commodities leading to increased
demand for new type. Oddly enough, despite the industrial
revolution and the growth of mechanised processes, significant
movements in type during the new century were to be shaped by an
Arts and Crafts movement championed at distance by William
Morris. Morris, and those like him, believed that mechanisation
removed mankind from creativity, and he sought to revive a sense
of craftsmanship in all his work, including his typography. This
Arts and Crafts movement was certainly an influence on Britain's
two foremost type designers: Edward Johnston and Eric Gill. The
pair met in London in 1902 when Gill became Johnston's pupil in
the study of calligraphy.