Doves Type
Summary
This episode tells the story of the friendship and subsequent feud between bookbinders Thomas Cobden Sanderson and Emery Walker, who co-founded the Doves Press. After their partnership dissolved, Sanderson secretly threw their prized Dove type into the River Thames over five months to prevent its use by others. The narrative explores the emotional fallout, the legal battles, and the eventual 2014 recovery of the type from the riverbed by designer Robert Green, who recreated the face.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: AT&T Business and Indeed
Intro: The story of a typeface feud
Meet Thomas and Emery: Early friendship
Backgrounds and the founding of Doves Press
The Doves Type design and early success
The friendship breakdown begins
The 7-year legal battle over the type
Thomas throws the type into the Thames
Aftermath: Death, erasure, and ashes
Modern rediscovery of Doves Type
Credits and Sponsors: Article, Edward Jones, Progressive
Interview: Creating the live stage show
Interview: Musical structure and narrative choices
Interview: Other typefaces lost to the river
Show credits and final sponsors
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