Print historian, author of PrintWeek’s ‘Print’s past’ column and Birmingham resident Caroline Archer offers an insider’s guide to what the city has to offer for typography lovers and culture vultures.

Typographic exhibitions
‘Not My Type: an Out of Character Experiment’ is a typographical exploration of 26 letters by 35 different Birmingham-based illustrators, designers and artists, all displayed as one alphabet. Showing at Created in Birmingham, on the first floor of the Bullring.

The Pen Room is a small but comprehensive museum to Birmingham’s penmaking trade. Birmingham was the world centre of penmaking — particularly steel nibs — and home to the likes of Gilliott and Whitman.

Typographic places
Industry & Genius is a monument to John Baskerville that stands in Centenary Square. It is the only monument to a typefounder anywhere in the world.

Warstone Lane catacombs is the burial place of John Baskerville.

Wolverely is a small village just outside Birmingham and birthplace of Baskerville. There is nothing to see there of the great man now, but is worth a visit because of the number of troglodyte cottages – not to mention a couple of nice pubs.

Typographic walking tours
A tour visiting some of these landmarks is scheduled for Thursday 20 May and Monday 24 May. For more information and to book online, visit www.uktype.com.