Doves Type

The friendship between Thomas Cobden-Sanderson and Emery Walker, once united by a shared passion for socialist politics and the "book beautiful," ended in a bitter, decade-long feud over the Doves Press. Driven by possessiveness, Cobden-Sanderson spent five months secretly dumping 2,600 pounds of their custom-designed Doves Type into the River Thames, ensuring his former partner could never use it. This act of destruction effectively erased the typeface from history for nearly a century. In a conversation with host Roman Mars, creator Helen Zaltzman details the emotional toll of this professional breakup and the eventual 2014 discovery of the discarded metal by designer Robert Green. This recovery allowed for the digital resurrection of the Doves Type, transforming a spiteful act of erasure into a lasting, albeit unintended, contribution to modern typography.