Professor Hamilton's Diary: Nov. 14, 1935

He mulls over typography for his book; an economics lesson on radios and furniture

With his book The Country Printer getting closer to publication, Professor Hamilton received several “specimens of typography” to review and some letters “regarding the necessary galley proofs for exam (14) and the no. (75) of printed copies.” Surely there were going to be more than 75 books printed?

I have a copy of The Country Printer, which is set in a serif type, similar to Times New Roman. This typeface dated from just 1931, when it was commissioned by the London Times. (I had always assumed it was The New York Times.) For years it was installed on most personal computers and it is the standard type for much of publishing because it is so easy to read and economical in space use.

Much as the television became the center of the American home after the 1950s, the radio dominated the living room of the 1930s and 1940s. Paid subscribers can read on about a special deal on radios offered to Reading shoppers by a local department store. Click below to upgrade your free subscription to paid, so you can enjoy the full experience of Professor Hamilton.