Legacy of Letters 2014

Alta examining Roman inscription on a wall in Verona (2013). Photograph by Paul Shaw.

The 2014 Legacy of Letters Tour and Workshop will be different from prior ones. I will be leading it on my own since my colleague Alta Price is taking a sabbatical from Legacy of Letters to attend to her burgeoning career as a translator. She will return in 2015. Meanwhile, I am using the occasion to shake up the itinerary a bit.

Legacy of Letters 2014 will be seven days long instead of the usual ten days. In a partial return to its 1990s roots there will be a re-emphasis on the tour aspect over the workshop one. Five days will be devoted to touring Venice, Modena and Florence with two days set aside for a letterpress workshop at the Tipoteca in Cornuda. Although the exact details of the itinerary have not been finalized yet, the general schedule has been set:

Saturday · July 5 · Florence—Orientation
Sunday · July 6 · Florence
Monday · July 7 · Florence
Tuesday · July 8 · Modena
Wednesday · July 9 · Tipoteca (Cornuda)—Letterpress workshop with Lucio Passerini
Thursday · July 10 · Tipoteca (Cornuda)—Letterpress workshop with Lucio Passerini
Friday · July 11 · Venice
Saturday · July 12 · Venice
Sunday · July 13 · Venice—get-away day

Rotunda manuscript (c. 1418). Ms. Pal. 50, Biblioteca Palatina (Parma).

We will visit at least one library in each city to see incunabula and manuscripts. The remainder of the time we will focus on inscriptional lettering in churches and museums while making sure not to miss the modern signage and vernacular lettering to be found in Florence, Modena and Venice. The letterpress workshop at the Tipoteca, the famed printing museum in Cornuda, will again be led by Milanese printer and artist Lucio Passerini. The emphasis—as usual—will be on printing with the museum’s incomparable collection of wood type.

By shortening the tour and reducing the length of the workshop I am able to offer a substantial reduction in the cost of Legacy of Letters 2014 compared to previous years. The price (exclusive of airfare to/from Italy) is $2700 ($2500 for students). The early-bird registration price—available until January 1, 2014—is $2500. For more information or to register email me at paulshaw@nyc.rr.com.

The last three Legacy of Letters tours have been memorable experiences for those lucky enough to have participated. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to discover for yourself some of the lettering riches that Italy holds. Spero di vedervi in Italia l’anno prossimo.

David Wolske adjusting type for Dennis Ichiyama’s keepsake printed at the Tipoteca (2013). Photograph by Paul Shaw.