25 March 2012 - Typecats

Typecats. It looks like a typo for typecast. There is a large saw in the backyard that originally was hooked up to the steam engine and used for cutting trees into lumber. Over the years it has acquired all kinds of things stacked on top of it. It's the family way--any flat spot....

I was working outside with David and noticed that there were type galleys stacked on the table part of the saw. Sure enough, there was even type in the trays. The trays were extremely rusty and everything was covered with pine needles, dirt, mud dauber nests and  who knows what else. I picked the biggest pieces out, and blew as much dirt as possible off, then brought them inside. What better way to spend the evenings than sorting type. 

Thus began the treasure hunt. I found three sizes of Rosetti, complete with the alternate swash caps!; a font of Tudor Black, which is similar to an old english style; a partial font of an all cap face that I have yet to identify; and I'm still working on a pretty script that I have not identified yet either. I was out on the balcony looking for an empty case to put these in, and found a case that had Clearcut Shaded caps. Ooh! Very nice!  So much type and so much clean up needed!

But back to the typecats. I was using a high trestle table for sorting and had set it up in front of a picture window. The cats loved it! They could sit, lie, sleep on the table, watch birds, lash their tails at the deer, it  was a dream come true. Except that the galleys were in the way. Did it matter? Nope. If a piece of type was poking them, they would pick it up and drop it off the table. So kind. Bela didn't mind hanging over the edges of the steel trays. Phin, being smaller usually found a way to fit in between the trays. 

As I sorted the type into smaller cases and emptied the galleys, both cats wanted the same space. We had to referee some spats that included leg biting and head slapping.  You can clearly see that there is plenty of room for both cats, but one must be king of the castle.