1912 Font?

[cliff]

This topic was imported from the Typophile platform

I am looking for an elegant text font that was designed (and used) mid-20th century (c. 1910-1915). Sanserif is preferable. It would be nice if the font is a complete family (bold, book, italics, etc.) and in TrueType-- again, desireable, but not essential. Thanks very much.

[dan_reynolds]

What about Venus? This is only available from Linotype in PostScript format, but we do have both Mac and PC PS.

There is also Cheltenham (a Serif), News Gothic, Franklin Gothic, and Scotch (another Serif). These are probably all available in several versions from several foundries, most likely as complete families, and in TrueType format.

Do check out this other thread on Souvenir, which is based on several elements from your period in question. Although at first glance, it might not be the right fit, I think that it could work out quite interestingly.

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[cliff]

Thanks Dan. I had forgotten that many "Modern" faces were designed quite early.

PS
We just got back from Germany. Where are you?

[dan_reynolds]

I live in Wiesbaden, work in Bad Homburg, and study in Offenbach. Basically, I just ride around on Frankfurt's trains all day…

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[Miss Tiffany]

A little later that your dates, but what about Metro by W.A.Dwiggins? Oh wait, no italics. Hmm.

[dan_reynolds]

I really get excited by pre-WWI types (late 1920s and 30s work is just too clean for me. I love Metro, Tiff, but its too good of a typeface to represent pre-war decadence, in my opinion. Or at least pre-first-world war decadence…).

Here is a bunch of stuff I've found over the past hour. None of them probably fit perfectly. But hey. Type c.1912 was a bit odd.

First is Sveva by Andreas Seidel, who rocks. Just OpenType, just caps, just serifs, but also just too good to miss out on, in my opinion.

Marshall

This is a good one: Fenwick

Offenbach, Represent! Don't miss the Ruhard'sche Giesserei's Eckmann (Linotype has it in PC, but not Mac, TrueType)

Likewise in PC TT (as well as Mac PS and PC PS, of course) is this neat little sans serif family, Britannic

Morris Fuller Benton's Clearface cannot be ignored. ITC Clearface is the serif version, Clearface Gothic the sans (Clearface Gothic, aside from PostScripts, and PC TT, is also available from Linotype in OpenType format!).

How about Cognac?

Cochin, 1914. So French. Nicolas Cochin, smaller x-height, more period acurate, I think, listed as coming from 1912 even though it is virtually the same as the above-named 1914 fonts… hmm.

Academy, from Paratype.

Whatever you end up using, please tell us! What is the project, anyway?
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[Miss Tiffany]

:^) With concise answers like that, Dan, I can safely hang up my moderator hat for good. ;^)

[dan_reynolds]

Good heavens! Such a thing would be sooooooooooo bad.

Besides, I can only give such concise answers once or twice a week. Or maybe once or twice a day, depending…

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[Miss Tiffany]

:^D

[Stephen Coles]

I guess Kabel (Linotype's original Stempel version) is out of your date range?

[Stephen Coles]

Belwe could be considered elegant (1913).

[dan_reynolds]

Speaking of Kabel (which I wouldn't use here), I think that Erbar, even though it is also way out of the date range, might fit.

I think that, like Lightline/News/Franklin Gothic, Erbar is a nice synthesis of what came before it. I see Kabel as a brilliant new invention, personally.

Rudolf Koch only got in one real typeface before WWI, the Deutsche Schrift. But I think that Neuland fits Art Nouveau decadence nicely, even though it was cut during the 1920s.
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[dan_reynolds]

Ahh… Belwe is nice! Are there any sans' like it?

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[cliff]

Dan, and all,

Thanks very much for the advice and research. The project is a catalog and programmatic graphics for the early modernist artist Henry Fitch Taylor (1853-1925). I believe the curator is looking for something with a Vienna Secessionist feel. However, these faces tend to be decorative and unsuitable as text. I like Kabel, but it is too late (historically). I originally did comps in the Neutraface family, which I like and may be able to sell. But it is, after all, a contemporary family. Though I'd prefer sanserif, Belwe is indeed nice.

I am considering Venus, Brittanic and Clearface, but I think they lack italics. Getting close, or, one hopes, just going with Neutraface.

I wish I could get a copy of the "Schriften Atlas" for reference.

Thanks again.

[Stephen Coles]

Clearface has italics.

[Nick Shinn]

In order of personality:

1. Dard Hunter, from P22

2. Advertiser's Gothic

3. Clearface Gothic

4. Lightline Gothic/News Gothic

[cliff]

Yes, Clearface is very nice-- with italics. Couldn't immediately find specific fonts by Dard Hunter. I will look into this, you know. . .tomorrow. Thanks.

[Stephen Coles]

Dard Hunter is probably too ornamental for running text.

[Bald Condensed]

As you were considering Venus, I was going to suggest the magnificent Vonness superfamily which has four widths (Extended, Regular, Condensed and Compressed) and seven weights (Thin, Light, Book, Medium, Bold, Extra Bold, Black), all with matching italics -- yup, 56 fonts in total -- which I reviewed for Typographer.org's TypeCon2005 keepsake booklet. Unfortunately, it looks like The Font Bureau, Inc. hasn't released it yet. :-/

[Miss Tiffany]

I would think they, The Font Bureau Inc., will hold that family close to their chest, so to speak, for a little longer. A typeface like that is almost too nice to publicly release.

[paul d hunt]

i could be wrong, but i doubt that many typefaces from this era or before had italic counterparts, and if so they were more likely to be sloped versions of the regular. Anyone else know something more on this?

[paul d hunt]

err, i should say sanserif typefaces.

[hrant]

Elegant? Look to Gaul. To me Deberny & Peignot's stuff around the turn of the century is the classy counterpart to ATF's typographic adventurism. But not much of it is sans, and even less of it has been digitized.

hhp

[gradiate]

I know this thread is very old but just found it using Google and wanted to thank for the replies. Currently working on a book cover set in the same period and the suggestions have been excellent.

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www.gradiate.co.uk