Font Designer - Justus Erich Walbaum

Justus Erich Walbaum – born 25. 1. 1768 in Steinlah, Germany, died 31. 1. 1839 in Weimar, Germany – type founder, type designer, punch cutter. Trained as a spice merchant and pastry cook in Braunschweig. Further trainig as a form cutter, music engraver and punch cutter. Cut and cast commemorative coins.

1796: buys printer Ernst Wilhem Kircher’s type foundy in Goslar. 1803: the type foundry moves to Weimar. 1828: Walbaum hands over the type foundry to his son, Theodor, who is killed in an accident in 1830. J. E. Walbaum continues to run the business. 1836: Walbaum sells his type foundry to F. A. Brockhaus in Leipzig. 1918: H. Berthold AG in Berlin gains possession of art of the Walbaum foundry and some of its matrices.

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