Lost - Found - Gone

James Montalbano

A few months ago a bookshelf collapsed in my studio and a pile of its contents sat on the floor for months. Finally going though them I found all of these keepsakes and memorabilia from past type conferences. Starting with Type87, the first one I ever attended. For a moment or two I marvelled at how many I had, and how long it had been since I looked at any of them. At first I thought I should hold on to them, but then realized none of it was interesting or important to me anymore. So I threw it all away. I feel so much better now.

Mark Simonson

I haven't reached that point yet, but it's not as unimaginable as it once was.

John Hudson

I decided pretty early on that I was mostly uninterested in the ephemera of type conferences, and imposed pretty strict criteria on what I would keep. Most of the content of ‘goody bags’ ended up in the hotel bin rather than in my luggage.

Peter Bain

James Montalbano said:

....So I threw it all away. I feel so much better now.

Bookshelf collapses are bad, hoarding is not helpful. It's honest feedback that much typographic ephemera is wasted, especially on fellow type designers. And there is value in not being overly tied to the past. But for others, the opportunity to see and touch a bit of letter history, no matter how insignificant, can be inspiring without encouraging copying. Finding a place like a library or archive, or another visual designer, that might benefit from someone's relatively rare broadsides, catalogs, or even floppies or CDs, can be a generous donation towards the future.

James Montalbano

So using all of the old U&lc issues, piled high in the studio, as fireplace kindling is a bad idea?

Peter Bain

Should work fine. Whatever pleases most, it’s an individual’s choice. I might favor fishwrap or torn into strips for papier-mâché as suggestions if I hadn’t given mine mostly away. 

James Montalbano

Thank you for your thoughtful suggestions. But too late. They have all been picked up by NYC Sanitation and are working their way through the recycling system.

Dave Crossland

The Cooper Type library welcomes donations like that. Someone cares about that history, James!

It belongs in a museum 

James Montalbano

I'm sure they have plenty of copies of U&lc Dave. Public libraries no longer accept peoples National Geographic collections anymore.