Baskerville, John

(born Jan. 28, 1706, Wolverly, Worcestershire, Eng.—died Jan. 8, 1775, Birmingham, Warwickshire) British typographer. In 1757 he set up a printing house and published his first work, an edition of Virgil. His editions of the Latin classics, John Milton's poems (1758), and a folio Bible (1763) are characterized by clear and careful presswork rather than ornament; they are among the finest examples of the art of printing. He served as printer to Cambridge University (1758–68), and he created the widely used Baskerville typeface, which is still used and prized for its clarity and balance.

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