Vincent Figgins | |
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Born | 1766 |
Died | 29 February 1844 (aged 77–78) Peckham Rye, England |
Resting place | Nunhead Cemetery |
Occupation(s) | Typefounder, Councilman of the City of London |
Spouse | Elizabeth |
Children | 6, including James |
Vincent Figgins (1766 – 29 February 1844) was a British typefounder based in London, who cast and sold metal type for printing. After an apprenticeship with typefounder Joseph Jackson, he established his own type foundry in 1792. His company was extremely successful and, with its range of modern serif faces and display typefaces, had a strong influence on the styles of British printing in the nineteenth century. A successor company continued to make type until the 1970s.
Figgins introduced or popularised both slab-serif and sans-serif typefaces, which have since become two of the main genres of typeface. He was also involved in local politics as a Councilman of the City of London.