Justus Erich Walbaum was a parson’s son and was apprenticed to a confectioner in his young days before becoming a typesetter/printer. He was inspired by the Modern designs that artisans such as Firmin Didot were cutting in France, and incorporated their style into his landmark typeface, the Walbaum font.
Born 25. 1. 1768 in Steinlah, Germany, died 31. 1. 1839 in Weimar, Germany – type founder, type designer, punch cutter, also cut and cast commemorative coins. 1796: Bought printer Ernst Wilhem Kircher’s type foundy in Goslar. 1803: The type ...foundry moved to Weimar. 1828: Justus handed over the type foundry to his son, Theodor, who was then killed in an accident in 1830 so Justus continued to run the business. 1836: Justus sold his type foundry to F. A. Brockhaus in Leipzig. 1918: H. Berthold AG in Berlin gained possession of art of the Walbaum foundry and some of its matrices.