About Letterform Archive

Since opening to the public in February 2015, Letterform Archive has shared its collection of over 40,000 items related to lettering, typography, calligraphy, and graphic design with a global community of students, practitioners, and letterform admirers from every creative background. In addition to hosting visits and public events, the Archive makes much of its collection accessible from anywhere in the world through social media, state-of-the-art photography, and publications.

Join us for a special presentation of some of the most treasured pieces from our collection, including books, periodicals, posters, and related ephemera that chronicle the history of written communication and demonstrate the role of letterforms in establishing and supporting communities big and small. (e.g. content from community organizations like Black Panther newsletter from the 1960s and the archive of Emigre, a Berkeley-based magazine and type foundry. )

About the Host

Johnny Avots-Smith, Director of Development and Operations, first fell in love with type when he picked up the photo font discs from his mother’s typesetting machine as a kid. He has spent the last decade working in all sorts of nonprofits: big universities, small theater companies, regional public television stations. He earned his BA and MNA (Master of Nonprofit Administration) from the University of San Francisco and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).