The Art of the Printed Word: Celebrating Italian Printmaking Heritage: Show-and-Tell Session

For the International Week of Italian Language in the World 2024, I was invited by Paolo Granata,
Associate Professor in Book & Media Studies, University of Toronto, to attend a talk on a captivating journey through the centuries-old history of Italian printmaking.

This talk was held on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, 496 Huron St., Toronto. It focused on the evolution of typography from the pioneering work of Aldo Manuzio, the inventor of the Italic type, to the masterful creations of Italian printmaker Alberto Tallone.

Professor Paolo Granata presented the evolution of typography from the pioneering work of Aldo

Manuzio, the inventor of the Italic type, to the masterful creations of Alberto Tallone, whom Pablo Neruda was hailed as the “hero of the book”.

Prof. Granata’s lecture was followed by a unique show-and-tell presentation by Enrico and Elisa Tallone, son and granddaughter of Alberto Tallone, who continue to honour the legacy of legendary printers and typographers like Aldo Manuzio and Giambattista Bodoni.

Attendees explored the world of typography, its beauty and anatomy, and the historical significance of type in shaping the modern book and the Italian language. Samples and artifacts were displayed for the attendees to review, absorb, and touch. It was an interesting experience, and I gained new knowledge. Two pictures of samples are included as shown above and below.