Logotypes
Stanhope typecases
some logotypes
Beniowski
had published in 1841 Phrenotypics, or a new method of studying and committing to memory languages, sciences, and arts
- https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Major_Beniowski_s_Phrenotypics_or_a_New/9hiDmAEACAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1
- called it the "phreno-typing" or "brain-printing" method
- much improvement in amount of knowledge but not in the amount of time taken to absorb it
- “If there be any improvement in this respect, it is almost imperceptible, and entirely unbecoming the company of the steam-engine, the rail-road, or the Nassau balloon: it is a pigmy among such giants as the electro-type, the Daguerreo-type, or the telegraph. The steam-engine has shortened immensely the work-hours of the ‘’mechanical’’ laborer; but she has done very little in the way of lessening the number of work-hours of the ‘’intellectual’’ one: she brings, it is true, whole wagons of teachers to the most humble homes; but these teachers keep the boys at school as long as ever.” (5-6)
- "The individual student who wishes to furnish his brain with a steamo-stereotyped Bible, a steamo-stereotyped Euclid, a steamo-stereotyped Homer, or any other steamo-stereotyped knowledge has to pay for it in miles of his life the same price as he would have paid centuries ago for the conveyance of a similar weight to his brain from a written Bible, a written Euclid, a written Homer, or any other written repository Hence we do not happen to see men leave schools colleges or universities ." (6)
- mnemonics can work
- "We sincerely believe we have improved it to a degree such as to authorise us to baptise it with the name of The PHRENOTYPING or BRAIN PRINTING Method on account of its direct and rapid working upon the sheets of the brain." (7)
- "Phrenotypics or our improved system of mnemonics afford us certain tools and levers through the medium of which we are enabled to engrave upon the brain in a given time more boldly and more deeply a number of notions infinitely surpassing that which unassisted by similar instruments we could possibly undertake to trace upou the slippery sheets of the mind even but faintly and indistinctly." (7)
- knowledge as a series of registers and tables, "nothing but a heap of registers" (24)
wants to democratize printing, enable more newspapers; if we can "reduce the whole art to absolute simplicity, bring it within the reach of the humblest means and thus afford a superabundance of new facilities, in the all- important Concern of Concerns - THE PRESS." (3)
begins by going through all the problems that can be introduced in printing
number of characters used in English is about 500; everyone knows them but they become confused when reversed on type
learning to recognize characters on type is absolute "drudgery", a "hateful occupation" (5)
proofreading adds a step, always find errors, and correcting errors in type can introduce problems in setting of the text (7)
thus printed texts are always riddled with errors, almost indecipherable (8)
author must pay expense of skilled labor of typesetting and printing (12)
"ALL THESE DELAYS, TROUBLES, ANXIETIES , HUMILIATIONS, AND DANGERS, ARE OCCASIONED, SOLELY AND EXCLUSIVELY, BY THE PRESENT DIFFICULTIES OF THE TYPOGRAPHIC ART, DEMANDING FROM THE AUTHOR, THE ADVANCE OF A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL, BEFORE HE CAN REAP ANY BENEFIT FROM HIS LABOUR." (13)
acquiring writing tools is easy enough, but not easy for author to print his own works (15)
"he is immediately beset by innumerable difficulties resulting from the general ignorance of reading and handling illegible types , as I have stated above . I do not undertake to say how many youthful poor aspiring Shakspeares, Newtons, or Scotts , have been, and are being stifled in the dark by the preliminary agencies above alluded to ; but I hope, every one will agree with me, that authors , puzzled , ensnared, and entangled in the present typographic trammels, have very little chance of making their way in the world, on fair ground-on pure personal merit." (15)
"ALL THESE DELAYS , TROUBLES , ANXIETIES, HUMILIATIONS, AND DANGERS, ARE OCCASIONED , SOLELY AND EXCLUSIVELY, BY THE PRESENT DIFFICULTIES OF THE TYPOGRAPHIC ART, DEMANDING FROM THE AUTHOR, THE ADVANCE OF A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF CAPITAL, BEFORE HE CAN REAP ANY BENEFIT FROM HIS LABOUR. But can it be done otherwise ? Yes -- by mending the first step -- BY COMMON SENSIFYING THE TYPES." (17)
first, put legible version of the character on the foot of the type, for compositor to read (17); call these THE LEGIBLES
proceed top down like we are used to, not reverse
distributing type is made simpler by even having LEGIBLES on the side of type
[Beniowski adds all caps emphasis throughout; see eg page 20]
treat the improved pieces of type as children treat wooden alphabet blocks, to be used to learn typographic art without skill needed to read upside down and backward
"The schools of the rising generation availing themselves of this mode of learning, in the quickest and most agreeable manner their reading and spelling, will at the same time , without any trouble, and, almost unconsciously, become perfectly familiar with the typographic art, and quite capable of dispensing with reversee, upside - down, privileged printing establishments . Cherishing such future hopes, we rest in the mean time contented with the extraordinary facilities IMMEDIATELY afforded by the improved types , enabling at once the present adult population to set up writings in metal, without the hitherto unavoidable necessity of having recourse to professional compositors ." (22)
next problem: typographic cases. they are confusing, don't follow the alphabet, must be learned (23)
logotype cases would have to be even bigger, which would only add difficulties
invents the AUTHORITON, a chest of drawers with grooved boards sticking out, each a little further than the one above it (27)
"The working surface of a complete Authoriton, containing all the sorts in use , italics included , is about 250 square inches, which is about one- sixth of the surface of the present cases ; hence composing is greatly accelerated" (28)