TASCHEN sent over a copy of Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles (Vol. 1) this past week and I am just floored by the exquisite content inside this large volume. The book I received is actually the first volume of 2 which TASCHEN has published to cover the entire modern history of type and the artists who made it their life’s work to create typefaces.

Inside this 360-page volume is page after page of type specimens which often include a history of how they were created and made famous through usage. Volume 1 of Type covers a span of years from 1628-1900 and is arguably the more interesting of the two volumes (although if I were you, I’d go ahead and pick up both volumes anyway) because it contains Victorian typefaces which are generally more decorated and ornate. Even better is that the book comes with a special media access card that allows you to log in to TASCHEN’s servers so that you can view many of the book’s images and typefaces at hi-res (this alone is worth the price of the book in my opinion).

This book has been a huge inspiration to me in the past week and I have no doubt that I’ll be keeping it nearby for a long time as I use it for type reference and general eye-candy. I highly recommend buying your own copy of Type: A Visual History of Typefaces and Graphic Styles so you can do the same (the whole book is on Amazon.com for less than $40).

For now, enjoy some of the images below.