John Baskerville
(1706-1775)

Died aged c. 69

John Baskerville (baptised 28 January 1707 – 8 January 1775) was an English businessman, in areas including japanning and papier-mâché, but he is best remembered as a printer and type designer. He was also responsible for inventing "wove paper", which was considerably smoother than "laid paper", allowing for sharper printing results.

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Commemorated on 2 plaques

John Baskerville 1706-1775 printer, publisher and founder of the Baskerville Press lived in a house formerly standing on this site

Baskerville House, Centenary Square, Broad Street, Birmingham, United Kingdom where they lived

Monument to John Baskerville - Industry and Genius Portland Stone and Bronze 1990 Industry and Genius is a monument to John Baskerville who lived and worked between 1748 and 1775 just a few yards from here. The standing stones represent the letter punches which he cut to make his type, and the word virgil was Baskerville's first book, published in 1757, as a re-print of the Roman author's poems. Industry and Genius refers to a poem of the same title which first appeared in Aris's Birmingham Gazette on 21 January 1751, with a dedication to John Baskerville. David Patten (b. 1954) assisted by Michael P. House (b. 1959)

Industry and Genius monument - Centenary Square, Birmingham, United Kingdom where they is commemorated (1990)