John Gustave Dreyfus, 1918–2002, book designer, printing historian, typographic advisor to Monotype Corporation, founding member and second president of ATypI.
His erudition on a wide range of topics made him a respected lecturer and author, but John Dreyfus was universally loved and admired for his generosity, elegance—sartorial and rhetorical (in English, French or German)—and kindness.
Like Rollo Silver, Dreyfus was a mainstay at the Heritage of the Graphic Arts lecture series, organized by Bob Leslie’s at Gallery 303. Beginning in 1965, when his topic was Jan Van Krimpen, whom he had known well, until 1980, Dreyfus spoke nearly every year. The keepsake for his Baskerville lecture in 1971 included a reprint of Ismar David’s Baskerville portrait, originally done for a type specimen produced by the Composing Room. On April 26, 1971, Ismar David wrote:
Dear John,
We are looking forward to your lecture at Gallery 303. It has always been delightful and instructive to listen to you, and I am sure the lecture on Baskerville will be no exception.Dr. Leslie told me that you intend to use the Baskerville drawing from a Composing Room type speicmen for a keepsake. I will be pleased to se it revived and you certainly have my permission to use it.
So, we, Dorothy and myself are expectin you in the fall.
With best wishes…1Ismar David papers, box 2, folder 42, Cary Graphic Arts Collection, RIT.
