Victor Hammer

Victor Hammer – born 9. 12. 1882 in Vienna, Austria, died 10. 7. 1967 in Lexington, USA – printer, painter, graphic artist, architect, type designer, sculptor, teacher, publisher.

1897: apprenticeship with an architect and town planner. 1898: studies at the art academy in Vienna. 1922: moves to Florence. Opens and runs a printing workshop in Florence. 1923: makes the acquaintance of Rudolf Koch. 1929: he and his printing works move into the Villa Santuccio in Florence and the business is renamed Stamperia del Santuccio. The first book to be printed is Milton’s "Samson Agonistes" (1931). 1936–39: professor at the Akademie der Bildenden Künste in Vienna. 1939: emigrates to the USA and teaches at Wells College in Aurora, New York, until 1948. 1948: moves to Lexington. Publishes numerous books, including a volume of Hölderlin’s poems, set in his type American Uncial.

Fonts: Hammer Unziale™ (1921), Samson (1931), Pindar (1933), American Uncial™ (1943), Andromaque Uncial (1958).

Publications include: "The Forms of our Letters", Lexington 1958. Carolyn Hammer "Notes on the Stamperia del Santuccio", Lexington 1963; Carolyn Hammer "Victor Hammer. Artist and Craftsman", Lexington 1981.

* TYPOGRAPHY – An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Throughout History by Friedrich Friedl, Nicolaus Ott (Editor), Bernard Stein, published by Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.