Souvenirs

Available for over a year

In late 19th century Hammersmith, two titans of the printing scene, Emery Walker and Thomas Cobden-Sanderson, form a deep friendship. They hang out at the same printing events and socialist meetings, they move into houses four doors apart, they work in the same building, their families go on holidays together. Then in 1900, they set up the ground breaking Doves Press together - whereupon their friendship swiftly implodes, and they spend the rest of the decade fighting over the custody of their in-house typeface, Doves. And then things get even uglier. Souvenirs explores broken friendship, typefaces, lost words, self-destruction, and the legacies we didn’t intend to leave. With type designer Robert Green. Written and performed by The Allusionist’s Helen Zaltzman, with an original score by Martin Austwick (performed by him and Adrienne LaBelle, violin). Produced by Helen Zaltzman and Martin Austwick. A Falling Tree production for BBC Radio 4