Michael Twyman
Encyclopedia
Michael Twyman is a Professor Emeritus
of the Department of Typography
& Graphic Communication
at the University of Reading
. He joined the university staff in 1959. He established a BA (Hons) course in Typography & Graphic Communication which eventually grew into its own department in 1974. According to Professor Twyman both the program and the department were the first of their kind in the world. He retired from full time teaching in 1998 but still teaches postgraduate students and is also the Director of the Centre for Ephemera Studies.
Twyman is often cited for his works on the history of printing and ephemera, especially lithography. In addition, he is well known for his writings on the theory of graphic language
. He also completed and edited Maurice Rickards' book Encyclopedia of Ephemera (London: British Library, 2000). He was a founder member of the Printing Historical Society
and has edited and conrtibuted to issues of its Journal.
Twyman is not to be confused with family law lawyer and conservative political thinker Michael Tweyman, of Toronto, Ontario. http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2007/12/23/daniel-cere-responds-to-colby-cosh-on-the-meaning-of-bruker-v-marcovitz.aspx]
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
of the Department of Typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
& Graphic Communication
Graphic Communication
Graphic communication as the name suggests is communication through graphics and graphical aids. It is the process of creating, producing, and distributing material incorporating words and images to convey data, concepts, and emotions....
at the University of Reading
University of Reading
The University of Reading is a university in the English town of Reading, Berkshire. The University was established in 1892 as University College, Reading and received its Royal Charter in 1926. It is based on several campuses in, and around, the town of Reading.The University has a long tradition...
. He joined the university staff in 1959. He established a BA (Hons) course in Typography & Graphic Communication which eventually grew into its own department in 1974. According to Professor Twyman both the program and the department were the first of their kind in the world. He retired from full time teaching in 1998 but still teaches postgraduate students and is also the Director of the Centre for Ephemera Studies.
Twyman is often cited for his works on the history of printing and ephemera, especially lithography. In addition, he is well known for his writings on the theory of graphic language
Visual language
A visual language is a system of communication using visual elements. Speech as a means of communication cannot strictly be separated from the whole of human communicative activity which includes the visual and the term 'language' in relation to vision is an extension of its use to describe the...
. He also completed and edited Maurice Rickards' book Encyclopedia of Ephemera (London: British Library, 2000). He was a founder member of the Printing Historical Society
Printing Historical Society
The Printing Historical Society or 'PHS' is a learned society devoted to the study of the history of printing, in all its forms.-History:The Society was founded in London in 1964 by a group of teachers, scholars, students of design and bibliography, librarians, professional printers and amateur...
and has edited and conrtibuted to issues of its Journal.
Twyman is not to be confused with family law lawyer and conservative political thinker Michael Tweyman, of Toronto, Ontario. http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/fullcomment/archive/2007/12/23/daniel-cere-responds-to-colby-cosh-on-the-meaning-of-bruker-v-marcovitz.aspx]
Selected works
- (1970) Printing 1770–1970: an illustrated history of its development and uses in England. Eyre & Spottiswoode, London.
- (1970) Lithography 1800-1850. OUP, London
- (1979) A Schema for the Study of Graphic Language. In The Processing of Visible Language, (Eds, Kolers, P.A., Wrolstad, M.E. & Bouma, H.) Plenum, New York
- (1982) The Graphic Presentation of Language, Information Design Journal 3(1), 2-22.
- (1985) Using Pictorial Language: A Discussion of the Dimensions of the Problem. In Designing Usable Texts, (Eds, Thomas Duffy & Robert Walker) , Academic Press, Orlando.
- (1990) Early Lithographed Books : a study of the design and production of improper books in the age of the hand press. Farrand, London.
- (1996) Early Lithographed Music : a study based on the H. Baron collection. Farrand, London.
- (1998) The British Library Guide to Printing: history and techniques. British Library, London.
- (2000) Breaking the Mould : the first hundred years of lithography. British Library, London.
Sources
- Staff pages of the Department of Typography & Graphic Communication Accessed April 13, 2007.
- Interview with Michael Twyman at www.letterspace.com Accessed April 13, 2007.