John Baskerville, of Sion Hill (1707-1775)

Name: John Baskerville, of Sion Hill (1707-1775)
Start: 2026-01-22T14:30:00+00:00
Location: We meet at the Museum of Carpet, Green Street, Kidderminster, DY10 1AZ, generally on Thursday afternoons between September and March. See latest posts or our website for upcoming events., Kidderminster

Schedule

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026 at 02:30 pm

UTC+00:00

Location

We meet at the Museum of Carpet, Green Street, Kidderminster, DY10 1AZ, generally on Thursday afternoons between September and March. See latest posts or our website for upcoming events., Kidderminster | Kidderminster, EN

Our next talk takes place on Thursday 22nd January at 2.30pm and is a real treat. Malcolm Dick will be speaking on John Baskerville (1707-1776), one of Kidderminster's most famous sons.
Baskerville was born at Sion Hill House, known to us in Kidderminster as the 'big house at the top of Sion Hill', and went on to establish himself in Birmingham as a major manufacturer of japanware and Britain’s most significant printer.
Even if you haven't heard of Baskerville, you will have seen his work because the "Baskerville" font, which is based on his design, is widely used today. (Apologies that we couldn't write this social media post in it, though!)
The presentation looks at the early Worcestershire influences upon his life, and the impact of Birmingham on his developing career. It finishes with an assessment of his importance locally, and in the wider world.
Dr Malcolm Dick is no stranger to the Society, being in fact our Honorary President, and has made several visits over the years. He is Honorary Associate Professor of History and, formerly, Director of the Centre for West Midlands History at the University of Birmingham. He has written extensively on the history of the West Midlands including books on the history of Birmingham, the Black Country, refugees and on members of the Lunar Society. In 2016 he co-edited a book on John Baskerville with Professor Caroline Archer-Parré. He is currently editing another book with Caroline which will present recent research on Baskerville.
As ever, all are welcome at this talk. A small charge applies for non-members. New memberships are also encouraged!