#mackellar smiths jordan

binny & ronaldson

reports of early type-founding in the usa tend to be anecdotal, but one fact is certain: in 1796 two scots émigrés entered into partnership (as to the details of their meeting reports are conflicting) & established the first full-time, professional type-foundry¹ in the usa, in philadelphia. skilled punch-cutter archibald binny, & businessman james ronaldson issued their first specimen book of ornamental material in 1809; indeed, the first such specimen book issued in the nascent usa, showing the firm’s ready repertoire of newly engraved ornamental material, as well as four sizes of type, the punches & or matrices for which binny presumably carried from edinburgh [p.j. conkwright, «Binny & Ronaldson’s First Type», PAGA, vol.1, 1953, p27]. their second specimen of 1812 shows new faces, replacing those of 1809, in prevailing fashion—no.2, a modern; & of the previous, transitional, fashion— vide‹b& r no.1›.
 theodore low de vinne gives concise descendency of binny & ronaldson material: «The first founder in the United States of marked ability was Archibald Binny of Scotland, who had made types in a small way at Edinburgh. In 1796, in connection with James Ronaldson, he established a type-foundry in Philadelphia, which soon took the lead of the other foundries in that city. … He retired in 1819. James Ronaldson & Richard Ronaldson [jame’s brother] continued the business. ¶In 1820 Lawrence Johnson, a printer and native of England, established a stereotype foundry in Philadelphia. In 1833 he formed a partnership with George F. Smith for the purpose of buying the type-foundry of Richard Ronaldson. Under the new management the operations of the foundry were largely extended. In 1843 George F. Smith withdrew. In 1845 Johnson admitted to partnership Thomas MacKellar, John F. Smith, and Richard Smith, who had been trusted employees of this house. Peter A. Jordan was added afterword. Before his death in 1860 Johnson sold the foundry to his junior partners, who continued the business under the name MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan, and afterword of MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan Company, but the house has not lost its old name of the Johnson Foundry [presumably the premises]. In 1892 the Mackellar, Smiths & Jordan Company became the Philadelphia branch of the American Type Founders Company.» [Plain Printing Types, the century co., nyc, 1902, p102]. and thus descended the binny & ronaldson material to atf—vide‹b&r no.1›.

illustration:A Specimen of Metal Ornaments Cast at the Letter Foundery of Binny & Ronaldson. | Philadelphia. | Printed by Fry and Kammerer. | 1809. [Am 1809 Bin 13347.O .4]. with thanks to the library company of philadelphia for permitting my examination of this extremely rare specimen book.

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¹ others had attempted type-founding in english america before 1796, but most were unsuccessful, others succeeding only in a small way: isaiah thomas enumerates seven [isaiah thomas, The History of Printing in America, 3rd edition (original 1810), imprint society, barre, mass., 1970, pp28-32].