Birkbeck Collection

Name

Birkbeck Collection

Description

A selection of around 260 volumes, including 35 volumes of pamphlets, selected from the library of the Scottish printer John Addison Birkbeck (died 1971), founder of the Rathalpin Press in 1919. These are mainly 20th-century works dealing with printing processes, the history of printing, lettering, type and typography. The collection contains a number of examples of typefounders' specimens and printing trade journals, a subsidiary theme being a group of 19th- and 20th-century guide-books relating to Scotland. In addition to the books, the collection includes composing sticks, printing types, punches, matrices, wood-engraved blocks, binders' tools, and an example of a hand type mould. The punches and matrices and some of the type were from the Edinburgh type foundry of Miller & Richard. J.A. Birkbeck took these as specimens when the firm closed in 1952.

Organisation

The books have been catalogued individually and have the shelfmark 'Birk.'. The printing types, wood-engraved blocks etc. are not catalogued.

Acquisition

The collection was bequeathed to the Library by John Birkbeck and received in 1971. The type, punches and matrices etc. were acquired from Scottish bookseller Alex Frizzell, who ran a bookselling business and the Castlelaw Press from his home in West Linton.

Related collections

Birkbeck's correspondence and papers, as well items relating to Dundee Typographical Society were also bequeathed to the Library. The manuscripts are held at Acc.5227.

Shelfmark

Birk.

Subjects

Printing, history and study of, fine printing

Typography