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Seek Black Guy from NYC Who was VERY into Type in the 1970s
Posted by homeboy in
28 Dec 2012 — 11:49am
28 Dec 2012 — 11:49am
In the early 1970s, in New York City, while I was running a tiny loft-based typesetting company called Intertypographics, I was friends with a black guy, probably gay but I don't know for sure, but geeky/nerdy for sure, in his 20s (which would make him 55 or 60 today), who loved type and typography. Not design or the mechanics of typesetting. Just type and typography. After all these years, I don't remember his name. It's probably more likely that I'd win the lottery, but could he be reading this message?
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28 Dec 2012 — 12:18pm
Was he also interested into graffiti?
n.
28 Dec 2012 — 4:06pm
I know a man who fits the description although I don't know if he ever lived in NYC but he certainly could have.
If you can come up with a name, first or last, I'll arrange to put you in contact with him; otherwise I won't mention his name here.
28 Dec 2012 — 4:46pm
Actually since there are sadly so few black people in typography (offhand I can only think of three) your chances are probably decent.
George, you could simply point your contact here and let him decide.
hhp
28 Dec 2012 — 5:28pm
Hrant, he may actually be registered on this board but I don't know how to check. If the names are a close match I would just have to give him a call and, as you say, point him to this forum.
29 Dec 2012 — 1:27pm
...
n.
29 Dec 2012 — 3:12pm
I'm cool with you keeping his confidence. But I can speak. I'm Alan Bell, black and I'm friends with Dorothy. Although I don't remember the guy's name—we were more acquaintances than friends—here's a few more details that might help. At the time I was probably working on gay newspaper project called Gotham Ledger or maybe a successor project called Gaysweek. The loft was on the second floor of a building on 9th Ave. at 13th St.
29 Dec 2012 — 6:48pm
“…there are sadly so few black people in typography…”
Woah. I’ve had more than that in a single class. In fact, I’ve tought classes where white males were the minority. Where on earth are you getting your numbers from?
29 Dec 2012 — 7:28pm
From my aggregate impression over the past 20+ years. But if things have indeed been changing quicky lately (and I don't mean just in the Yukon) then that's great.
hhp
29 Dec 2012 — 7:31pm
The classrooms I was refering to were in Halifax, Nova Scotia, at NSCAD University and Dalhousie University.
29 Dec 2012 — 7:38pm
Wow, what coincidence Chris. Isn't there an Architecture program at NSCAD?
n.
29 Dec 2012 — 7:49pm
There used to be a school called TUNS (Technical University of Noca Scotia) which was absorbed by Dal in the early 90’s. At about the same time, they discontinued the Environmental Panning department at NSCAD. No architecture at NSCAD.
29 Dec 2012 — 8:07pm
TUNS, yeah that's the one. I remember thinking about going there back in the day.
Halifax is a great town with a surprising amount of refined culture.
n.
29 Dec 2012 — 10:46pm
And more bars per capita in Canada!