This research program focuses on the typographical characters of the engraver, publisher and typographer Louis Jou (1881-1968). He was a Catalan anarchist, naturalized French, he became a major representative of the Private Presses movement in France, in the lineage of William Morris, the tradition of the Incunabula, and a certain medievalist nostalgia. My research focuses on the lettering of the title pages that were engraved in unique woodblock pieces, my aim is to achieve a freely inspired revival that translates the expressiveness and lyricism of the multiple ligatures and embedded letters. Between “digital tribute” and “historical fiction” these characters will be part of an extension, a sequel to the Tale of Type (http:// www.taleoftype.xyz) for which I will produce an edition accompanied by a new story- telling movie.

Since the titling type is only endowed with capitals, the need to design lowercase seems to me to be a priority, I am referring to the lead characters that were drawn by Jou and engraved by Charles Malin. This family made up of different typographic bodies leads me to define the recurring characteristics in Jou’s letter forms, as well as the modalities of re-interpretations, re-appropriation, it is these frivolous and subtly decorative details that stimulated me to start this project. The decorative and ornamental aspect is not to be outdone, mannerist thumbnail & vignettes will also be digitized to complete the display font as much as possible.