Support

the large clamshell box from American Wood Type 1828-1900, Volume I, open on the wood table in the Design Lab office, in front of the wall of colorful type boxes. A person is handling the cover page, leafing through the sheets.

Taking a look at Kelly’s original 1964 folio of wood type specimens. Visit the History page for further information

The work of preserving the archive and continuing the legacy of the RRK has been fueled by the enthusiasm of gracious supporters. We believe that the collection belongs to the global community of designers, printers, and lovers of type. Though it is held within the walls of the University of Texas, we hope to share it with the world as best as we can—via the resources on this site, and our high-resolution scans of the entire collection which are available to access and download from our specimen archive.

Though accessing the archive will always be entirely free, if you plan to utilize the collection in personal or commercial work, we recommend making a one-time contribution of $25 or more. And we’ll send you a thank you gift!

Please consider making a donation to support this ongoing research and archival work. In making a contribution to collection, you are supporting;

  • Ongoing student experiences with the collection, including extra-curricular and professional-development opportunities.
  • The creation of future public resources for experiencing, utilizing, and appreciating the collection.
  • Our continued study of the type, and the vast wealth of history instilled within.
  • & much more!

 

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Acknowledgements

We owe a debt of gratitude to David Shields, who paved the way for us to continue our research and cultivation of community around the collection. David is responsible for gathering and distilling the majority of the information available on this site, and our current accomplishments would not have been possible without his countless hours dedicated to the RRK. His work is preserved in both his 2022 book on the collection, and the ongoing research available on his blog site. Both have been a constant guiding light for our continued explorations of the collection.

Immense gratitude is also due for Kate Canales, chair of the UT School of Design from 2018-2024. Kate has been a constant supporter of our continued work with the collection—both as a spiritual supporter of the RRK, and through the dedication of University resources to our studies and explorations. We’ve only been able to reach our current chapter as a result of her trust and vested appreciation of the RRK and its potential.

Additionally, it is important to acknowledge the labor of so many students and over the years who have embraced the RRK into their practice, ventured into unknown realms, and challenged the boundaries of what wood type is capable of. They also have endured tedious days organizing, cleaning, documenting, and cataloging the collection and its collateral elements. Without them, none of this would have been remotely feasible.

—Henry Smith, Summer 2024

a stack of decorative Streamer Border end pieces, four different pairs, stacked vertically

Credits

Site Design

Gabi Williams
Henry Smith
Usman Khan

Site Development

Sundaram, LLC

Text

Henry Smith
David Shields

Photography

Grace Homeyer
Henry Smith

Student Staff

Nhu Phung
Kenny Ly
Gianina Faelnar
Ava Darvish
Julia Haas