WILLIAM MILLER, 1809.
William Miller, the originator of this now great foundry, was for some
time a foreman in the Glasgow Letter Foundry. About the year 1809 he
left that service to begin a foundry of his own in Edinburgh under the
style of William Miller and Co. The first specimen is stated to have
been published in this year,[738] but no copy unfortunately has been
found still to exist.
A further specimen was issued in 1813, followed in the ensuing year by
another of 28 pages, consisting entirely of Roman and Italic letter,
of which there was a complete series from Double Pica to Pearl, with
2-line letters and one page of borders. As Hansard observes respecting
early founts of this foundry, the letters so much resemble those of
Messrs. Wilson as to require minute inspection to distinguish the one
from the other.[739]
The business, once started, made rapid progress, and in due time became
a formidable rival not only to the Glasgow foundry, but to the London
founders. The specimen of 1815 showed further additions to the founts,
some of which, we have it on Hansard’s authority, were cut by Mr.
Austin, of London.[740]
In 1822, the firm is described as William Miller only, Letter Founder
to His Majesty for Scotland. The energy and care displayed by Mr.
Miller in the {356} prosecution of his business rapidly brought his
foundry to the front rank, and secured for him the support not only of
English printers but of some of the most important newspapers of the
day, including _The Times_.
In 1832, Mr. Richard was admitted a partner; and the style of the firm
became once more William Miller and Co., and so continued until 1838,
when it became Miller and Richard.
Of the later history of this foundry it is beyond the scope of this
work to treat, further than to say that it was the first house
successfully to introduce machinery for the casting of type in this
country; and that on the revival of the old style fashion about 1844,
it took a prominent and successful part with its series of “Modern Old
Face” letter. For the Exhibition of 1851, the proprietors produced a
“Brilliant” type, the smallest then in England,[741] and subsequently
cut a “Gem” expressly for Mr. Bellows’ _French Dictionary_[742]—a book
which for clearness and minuteness combined ranks as a typographical
curiosity.
After the death of Mr. Miller in 1843, the business was carried on by
Mr. Richard and his son, until 1868; when, on the retirement of Mr.
Richard, senior, the active management of the Foundry (which since 1850
has had a branch house in London) devolved upon his sons, Mr. J. M.
Richard, and Mr. W. M. Richard, the present proprietors.
LIST OF SPECIMENS, 1809–33.
[1809. Specimen of Printing Types by W. Miller and Co., Edinburgh,
1809.] . . . . (B. P. ii, 42.)
1813. Specimen of Printing Types by William Miller and Co.,
Edinburgh, 1813. 4to. . . . . (B. P. ii, 42.)
1814. Specimen of Printing Types by William Miller and Co., Letter
Founders, Edinburgh. Edinburgh, printed by A. Balfour. 1814. 4to.
. . . . (M. & R.)
1815. Specimen of Printing Types by William Miller and Co., Letter
Founders, Edinburgh. Printed at the Stanhope Press by R. Chapman.
1815. 4to. . . . . (Ox. Univ. Pr.)
1822. Specimen of Printing Types by William Miller, Letter
Founder to His Majesty for Scotland, Edinburgh. Printed by James
Ballantyne and Co. 1822. 4to. . . . . (Caxt. Cel. 4401.)
1833. Supplement to William Miller and Company’s Specimens of
Printing Type, Edinburgh, 1833. 4to. . . . . (Ox. Univ. Pr.)
{357}
[Illustration]