A list of recommended sites for both historical and current information about Graphic Design.
Counterspace
A wonderful animated site about type style and a timeline of typographic history
Design Addict
A large source of information on 20th century design, which includes an index of designers and manufacturers.
The Evolution of Type
This site was developed by Michael Brandt and Oriana Anholt of mediumbold. The site grew out of their appreciation for design, communication, and the beauty of the letterform. Originally designed in 1996, it has become a well-used reference for many teachers and students of typographic design, as well as an educational resource for casual viewers.
Another great source from the amazing Ellen Lupton ...thanks for sharing Ellen!
The Crystal Goblet, Beatrice Ward
Smart designers who write about design including Michael Bierut, William Drentel, Jessica Helfand, Rick Poynor. Has a great book list
The Kelmscott Chaucer
Describes the history of the Composing Room, a New York typesetting firm that set out to be the cream of the crop in typesetting firms, from the 1920's until the 1980's. The Composing Room produced PM and AD magazines and many issues of each are archived here, along with timelines and information on designers who worked with the Composing Room.
Active discussion board with font identification and type design critique forums. Sporadic features include interviews with typographers, and typographic news.
Includes the evolution of writing in the western world, a flash demo of the golden section, and a survey of text typefaces. Site by Dean Allen, ”a recovering graphic designer“ Check out the Daily Oliver if you are bored.
Icograda is the world body for professional
graphic design and visual communication
Hard to categorize this as just historical but has some very interesting articles on type history as well as a slide show of his visit to the Hamilton Type Museum with excellent documentation of wood type production. (My kind of vacation!) Other topics include old type and lettering, type history as well as his own type designs.
The site of the Association Typographique International, the organization of the international type community.
Museum for Modern International Book Art, Typography and Calligraphy
The basis of the museum was the valuable collection of books of Dr. H.C. Karl Klingspor (1868 - 1950), who together with his brother Wilhelm operated a typefoundry in the first half of the 20th century.
Notable artists like Otto Eckmann, Peter Behrens, Rudolf Koch, Walter Tiemann, Rudo Spemann, Imre Reiner, Hans Bohn and Karlgeorg Hoefer designed typefaces for the company.
Got a hankering to enter a poster competition? Click here.
The Great Type Designers by Nicholas Fabian
In addition to information on many important type designers there is a section of translated type from aliens.
A blog about topics of interest to graphic designers by designers, some of whom are trying just a bit too hard. Has a list of graphic design jobs.