The radical physical alteration from lead to light had a deep impact on typography. Basically two media, photography and typesetting converged in the new hybrid technology of phototypesetting. But it revolutionized not only the production of print media and its aesthetics, but also writing as a whole. As part of the Herb Lubalin Lecture Series, Katharina Walter will embark on a media-historical search for traces of the beginnings of writing with light. It will lead not only into the early history of photography, but also into telegraphy and its electrification of letters.

Registration is required for this free online talk here.

Katharina Walter is both a communication designer and a cultural and media scholar. Her research focuses on the cultural technique of writing, with a particular emphasis on typography. From 2023 to March 2025, she was director of the Museum for Printing Arts in Leipzig (Germany). She is also a member of the board of the German Design Day and represents it in the Cultural Heritage Committee of the German Cultural Council.