Comments on: On The Semiquincentennial https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/07/04/on-the-semiquincentennial/ In the midst of life I woke to find myself living in an old house beside Brick Lane in the East End of London Sun, 05 Jul 2026 11:18:00 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 By: William Cahill https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/07/04/on-the-semiquincentennial/#comment-2120736 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 11:18:00 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207491#comment-2120736 Thank you for your interesting post. The man who printed the document under consideration, whose Caslon we read today, labored, as so many artisans in colonial America (indeed, as did so many artisans throughout the global colonies of Great Britain) under restrictive mercantile legislation.

The Iron Act of 1750 was designed to discourage manufacturing in the colonies while encouraging it in Great Britain itself. The colonies could produce as much pig iron and iron bar as they wanted, but they were prohibited from turning it into the useful items needed to support industry. All pig iron and iron bar had to be exported to England; no other exportation was allowed. There, it was all transformed into those items useful to promoting a more ease full life. Then, some of it was allowed to be exported back to the colonies. If the colonies wished to have these products, they had to buy from England. Importation from other nations was prohibited.

Everything, everything in John Dunlap’s shop was manufactured in England. Including his Caslon type.

]]> By: Philip Marriage https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/07/04/on-the-semiquincentennial/#comment-2119593 Sat, 04 Jul 2026 17:32:26 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207491#comment-2119593 A classic typeface and worthy of such a significant document.

]]> By: Jennifer Newbold https://spitalfieldslife.com/2026/07/04/on-the-semiquincentennial/#comment-2119222 Sat, 04 Jul 2026 12:07:26 +0000 https://spitalfieldslife.com/?p=207491#comment-2119222 “Disturbing irony.” Well, that’s one way of putting it. I think I’d just call it hypocrisy. But you’re probably more tactful than I, G.A.

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