The Typography Museum of Tours in Indre-et-Loire is a remarkable place. The collection of machines and objects is a feast for the eyes, but the master of the place is also a colourful character, charming and absolutely passionate about typesetting and the art of letters in general.
Today, this little treasure of the printing house, which lives only on donations from visitors, needs a helping hand. "With the covid, the museum is closed, but you still have to pay the rent, explains owner Muriel Méchin. And the real estate agency gave us a raise during lockdown last April. The chameaux?! "To pay rent, utilities, and insurance, I have to retire."
After an initial advertisement in the regional newspaper The New Republic at the beginning of the month, former typographer Muriel Méchin received about 20 checks for 10 euros. Since then, one of her friends has launched an online jackpot to collect further donations. Muriel Méchin's claims are not high: about 2,000 euros while waiting to reopen. And if he gets a little more, other new character breaks will enrich the collection, including, he hopes, perhaps the Bifur designed by Cassandre.
But beware, if Muriel Méchin is still unstoppable, he intends to pass the baton. The collector had already explained to us, in 2018, looking for a buyer who can take care of this accumulated treasure.. for over 40 years. But he hasn't found anyone yet.
"I've got 80 brooms this year. The town of Tours should take over the museum in honour of Mame, Balzac, Plantin" the bookbinder and printer Christophe Plantin (1520-1589), the Mame family at the origin of Éditions Mame founded in 1778 and the writer Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) being three local children.
In the meantime, a donation of a few euros will enable him to share, when health measures allow it, again his Monotype its 1880 Hirondelle pedals, tree moulds, Freinet press, its Gammeter Multigraph duplicator or its Super Veloz, these typefaces that can be modulated to infinity.. .
