 Painting of William Caslon, founder of the Caslon type foundry, by Francis Kyte. He holds his specimen of his types. | |
| Industry | Type foundry |
|---|---|
| Founded | c. 1720 |
| Founder | William Caslon |
| Defunct | 1937 |
| Successor | Stephenson Blake |
| Headquarters | , |
| Products | Metal type Caslon typeface |
The Caslon type foundry was a type foundry in London which cast and sold metal type. It was founded by the punchcutter and typefounder William Caslon I, probably in 1720. For most of its history it was based at Chiswell Street, Islington, was the oldest type foundry in London, and the most prestigious.[1]
In the nineteenth century, the company established a division selling printing equipment. This section of the company continues to operate as of 2021, and is now branded Caslon Ltd. and based in St. Albans. The type foundry section of the company was bought by Stephenson Blake in 1937.
From 1793 to 1819 a separate Caslon foundry was operated by William Caslon III and then his son William Caslon IV, who split off from the family business. This was also bought by a predecessor company of Stephenson Blake.
- ^ Barker & Collins 1983, p. 87.