The great typographic archives, physical and digital, that preserve punches, specimens, rare books and designers' papers.
The Cabinet des poinçons of the Imprimerie nationale
Location: France.
Date: Built up since the 16th century.
An exceptional collection of punches, matrices and type, including the Grecs du Roi cut by Claude Garamont and the Romain du Roi.
It is one of the most important typographic collections in the world, and a unique record of the history of French typography.
Gallica
Location: Online, by the Bibliothèque nationale de France.
Date: Since 1997.
The BnF's digital library, giving access to millions of documents, including rare books, type specimens and posters.
It lets you browse, for free, works printed since the beginnings of printing, to study how typefaces have evolved.
Letterform Archive
Location: San Francisco, United States, and online.
Date: Founded in 2015 by Rob Saunders.
An archive devoted to letters and graphic design, gathering tens of thousands of items: calligraphy, specimens, posters, books and designers' archives.
Much of its collection can be viewed online for free, with very high-quality images.
St Bride Library
Location: London, United Kingdom.
Date: Opened in 1895.
A library specialising in printing and typography, preserving books, specimens, punches and printing equipment.
It is one of the largest collections in the world devoted to the history of printing.
Cary Graphic Arts Collection
Location: Rochester Institute of Technology, United States.
Date: Built up from the 1960s.
A collection of rare books, specimens, typographers' archives and printing equipment.
It holds archives of major typographers and is a key resource for research into the history of typography.