Catch Words & Logotypes
Assorted sizes & cuts
Box 168
Catch Words, Calendar Logotypes & Flour Items
Calendar Logotypes
A specimen from the Hamilton Perpetual Calendar set. “April” is grayed-out since it was missing from the original collection.
A specimen from the Hamilton Perpetual Calendar set.
A selection of blocks from the set, including the newly-reproduced “April” block.
A closeup of the CNC cutting process. The spinning router bit carves out the pre-shellacked maple wood, following the path of a vector image file.
The cover of the RRK Perpetual Calendar, which we began printing in 2021 and was completed in December 2023.
The January page from the RRK Perpetual Calendar, featuring Caslon (Box 002) and Roman style numbers.
The April page from the RRK Perpetual Calendar, featuring No. 515 (Box 083) and Antique style numbers.
The August page from the RRK Perpetual Calendar, featuring Gothic Round (Box 111) and gothic style numbers.
The December page from the RRK Perpetual Calendar, featuring No. 226 Outline (Box 166) and gothic and script style numbers.
Calendar No. 13
The Hamilton Manufacturing Company
10–line
This perpetual calendar was first shown in Hamilton Manufacturing Company’s 1894 broadside Perpetual Calendar Sets.
The Tubbs Manufacturing Company also showed this design in its c. 1906 Wood Type and Borders Catalogue Number Five, as Perpetual Calendar No. 8. The Hamilton Manufacturing Company’s Calendar No. 13 worked as a chromatic when paired with Calendar No. 12.
The original “April” block is missing from the collection. As Kelly did not include this calendar set in his 1964 folio, and there is no accounting of individual blocks while in the Harry Ransom Center holdings, or in its time housed in the School of Design. It is not clear whether the “April” block was missing when Kelly acquired the set.
In 2023 we completed the RRK Perpetual Calendar—a 12 month calendar intended for continuous use, which explores the range of the entire collection as it progresses through the year. The calendar ventures seasonally through each of the four style categories in the collection, utilizing both the largest and smallest characters the RRK has to offer.
In order to finish the project, we elected to produce a replacement “April” block, which was cut with our CNC router machine in end-grain hard maple. Though CNC cutting is facilitated from a digital image file, the cutting process is a direct descendant of the routing technology that was engineered to further the wood type industry in the 19th century.
Catch Words
Flour/Wheat
Catch Word No. 18
William H. Page & Company
24–line
This was first shown in William H. Page & Company’s July 1873 Specimens of Wood Type. The design was renamed Catchword No. 18 after the completion of the company’s acquisition by the Hamilton Manufacturing Company in 1891.
Name used and first showing by other manufacturers:
Tubbs-AWT/ Catch Word No. 18/ 1883
Wells/ Catch Word No. 34/1879; name changed to Catch Word No. 75 in 1891
Catch Word No. 31
Vanderburgh, Wells, & Company
8–line
This was first shown in Vanderburgh, Wells, & Company’s 1877 Specimens of Wood Type, Borders, Rules, &c. After buying out his partners and renaming the company eponymously in 1890, Heber Wells renamed this design Catch Word No. 94.
Name used and first showing by other manufacturers:
Hamilton/ Catword No. 34/ 1891; Page’s cut renumbered by Hamilton after 1891 acquisition
Morgans & Wilcox/ Catch Word No. 26/ c. 1885; name changed to No. 329 in 1890 catalog
Catch Word No. 3
Hamilton & Baker
6–line
This was first shown in Hamilton & Baker’s 1887 Specimens of Holly Wood Type.
The Tubbs Manufacturing Company also showed this design, in its c. 1906 Wood Type and Borders Catalogue Number Five, as Tubbs Logotypes No. 33.
Catch Word No. 9, No.10, & No. 11
Hamilton & Baker
10–line
This was first shown in Hamilton & Baker’s 1887 Specimens of Holly Wood Type.
The Tubbs Manufacturing Company also showed these designs, in its c. 1906 Wood Type and Borders Catalogue Number Five, as Tubbs Logotypes No. 41, No. 39, and No. 40.