The legendary Rob Roy Kelly was one of a kind, a larger than life character, writes Hamish Thompson. Gordon Salchow has described him as ‘a gregarious, opinionated, pure and powerful presence’ and I myself was lucky enough to know and work with this inspirational man whose enthusiasm for design was infectious. Kelly, who died in 2004, is best remembered for his two passions – teaching and collecting.
The 1960s was an era when Helvetica was predominant in all aspects of graphic design and advertising. It was therefore surprising to many at the time that a book such as American Wood Type – about the bold and unrefined designs of a bygone era – should be written, and by someone teaching the modernist design aesthetic, too. Twenty years later, American Wood Type was out of print.
However, in April this year American Wood Type was reissued by Liber Apertis Press, a publisher who ‘reissues noteworthy books that are in demand and no longer easily available.’ The cover of this new edition is based on one of Kelly’s designs for his 1964 portfolio of wood type specimens.
