The Vancouver (and international) design and publishing communities lost a truly unique artist and typographer on January 8, 2010, when Jim Rimmer passed away.

Jim Rimmer, who was a friendly face to CSSP and scores of former MPubbers, led small groups from MPub around his workshop and demonstrated the sadly-declining craft of designing and cutting metal type. Jim was so knowledgeable yet modest, I can personally say that seeing him work firsthand was one of the most inspiring and memorable mornings of my publishing and design life. The smell of the molten metal and the hot sting of newly a cast ampersand in my bare hands was a tactile reminder of his tireless craft. I have a memory of Jim spilling a small amount of molten metal on his hands and simply brushing it off, not even a whince of pain as his hands most likely became immune to the heat of hot type after decades of perfecting his art.

Jim's gorgeous books and meticulously detailed work will likely live on with anyone who is lucky enough to own or have seen some of it, but his modesty and immeasurable talent will live on for much longer.

Some more information about his passing here, as well as Making Faces, a short documentary about Jim.