The Art & Practice of Typography: A Manual of American Printing, Including a Brief History up to the Twentieth Century, with Reproductions of the Work of Early Masters of the Craft, and a Practical Discussion and an Extensive Demonstration of the Modern Use of Type-faces and Methods of ArrangementGress, Edmund G. (Edmund Geiger)
History
The Art & Practice of Typography: A Manual of American Printing, Including a Brief History up to the Twentieth Century, with Reproductions of the Work of Early Masters of the Craft, and a Practical Discussion and an Extensive Demonstration of the Modern Use of Type-faces and Methods of Arrangement
Gress, Edmund G. (Edmund Geiger)
Advertising layout and typography -- United States; Graphic design (Typography) -- United States; Printing -- United States -- History
Looking over the specimen books of the type foundries of the last
century—those of Bruce, MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan, and others—one
marvels at the wonderful skill in the cutting of the hairlines and the
general mechanical excellence of the modern Romans.
Because of their continued use on newspapers and in books of reference,
these letters are in wide use today, altho there is a movement away from
them.
The most generally used type-face on small city newspapers in America is
the linotype company’s Modern Roman No. 2 (Example 489). In the hand-set
days this broad, open-faced letter was so made for the reason that it
would stereotype easier than would the narrower letters. It was adopted
by the ready-print and plate houses, and when the newspapers installed
linotypes they naturally selected the same face, so that the type matter
thruout the publication would match. The larger city dailies give more
attention to the details of the faces they use for body purposes. If No.
2 is selected, or the leaner No. 1, modifications are frequently made in
some of the letters or figures. The No. 1 Modern Roman is used by the
New York _Times_ (Example 406).
However, instead of the selection of a severe letter, such as the
so-called Scotch-cut Modern Roman as a representative type-face in the
group of six standard Roman letters, the more interesting Scotch Roman
won the place. This type-face was first made in America by A. D. Farmer
& Son, and the eight-point and ten-point sizes were used as body type by
_The American Printer_ first in April, 1902. In September of that year
there appeared in that publication showings of the eight-point,
ten-point, eleven-point, twelve-point and fourteen-point sizes, with the
statement that other sizes were in preparation. The name, “Scotch
Roman,” probably comes from the fact that Miller & Richard, the
Edinburgh typefounders, made a similar letter in sizes from eight-point
to twelve-point. However, they call it “Old Roman.”
Scotch Roman is the link that connects the graceful old-style and the
severe modern Roman. Compare it with the letter (Example 484-B) made at
the foundry owned by Mrs. Henry Caslon in 1796, and notice the
resemblance. (As a further study, there is added an alphabet of
Baskerville Roman, recently introduced to America.) Scotch Roman is also
procurable under the names of Wayside Roman and National Roman.
Scotch Roman has been used in Examples 38, 39, 77, 78, 85, 143, 152,
153, 154, 185, 186, 238, 271, 317, 400, 420, 423, 427, 428 and 444.
* * * * *
_French Oldstyle._—This is the title by which is known among printers a
style of type-face made, under the name of “Elzevier,” by the Gustave
Mayeur foundry of Paris in 1878. Its design, M. Mayeur tells us, was
suggested by types used in a book printed in Leyden by the Elzevirs in
1634.
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