Source: archive.org License: All Rights Reserved.

The Inland Printer, published in Chicago, was perhaps the best record of early 20th-century American graphic design. “Specimens” (later “Specimen Review”) was a regular feature in which printers submitted their best work with the hope to be selected and critiqued by J. L. Frazier, editor of the journal. Alexander S. Lawson remembered it this way:

During his 47-year tenure in assembling “Specimen Review,” J. L. praised his contributors most of the time, but he could be caustic on occasion, blasting shoddy work without hesitation. He was particularly annoyed by stunt typography, coining the term “cockroach typography” to describe some of the excesses in style and legibility which came to his attentive mind.

It was rare, however, that J.L. simply panned a piece of typography out of hand. In almost every instance, he attempted to criticize constructively and with painstaking detail. He had all of the attributes of a first-rate teacher—always seeking to instruct and improve, and of course, to share his love for the world of print with anyone who would listen.

Month after month, Frazier was the recipient of printed material from every part of the United States and from many foreign countries. He carefully selected a number for reproduction. In addition, he commented editorially on 30 to 40 items, discussing them in detail.

In this October 1917 edition, Frazier selected the work of Oscar F. Jackson based in Lansing, Michigan. “Your work is clever.” he said. “The specimens set in the new Publicity Gothic are particularly effective.”

Source: archive.org Smithsonian Libraries at Internet Archive. License: All Rights Reserved.

Jackson’s ad for Superior Typesetting Co. is reproduced above, likely in different colors than its original. At first I thought Jackson did some clever custom cut for the overlapping “ST” in “Installs”, but it turns out that ligature was included in Barnhart Bros. & Spindler’s font.

Source: www.flickr.com Scan by Stephen Coles. License: All Rights Reserved.

Detail from the Publicity Gothic specimen in Barnhart Bros. & Spindler’s Catalog 23.

Designed in 1916 and released by 1917 (the same year as this use), Publicity Gothic is one of the first typefaces to emulate the bold, rough-edged “poster” or “block” lettering style sparked by Germany’s Plakatstil movement. It beat the heaviest weight of Berthold’s Block by three years.

The Berkeley Tribe is possibly the most famous “New Left” newspaper. Centered in Berkeley, California, it (like other publications) focused on revolutionary subject matter (Black/Women's Liberation, Gay rights, Antiwar Movements, etc.). Their headquarters were at multiple times bombed or shot, with the FBI surveilling their operation.

The masthead, like with many famous magazines, such as TIME, is a custom lettering.

Crediting designers for each issue can be tricky, as intimidation from attacks and police prompted staff to remove their names from the masthead. However, East Bay Media is noted to have served the tribe's publishing and at least some graphic design from 1971, the time of this issue here (it is possible other Berkeley area shops filled a similar role during the paper's run, too).

Early covers and hand lettering are credited to designer Gary Grimshaw, who possibly did not work on this particular specimen.

Shown here are the cover and a selection of eleven of the twenty-four pages, featuring most of the display fonts used in the editorial design at least once. Text is set in Univers and Century Schoolbook.

Headlines in Dom Casual (“The Unknown Defendant”) and Clarendon (“Justice We Don’t Expect From You”)

Publicity Gothic (“No Future Rev No Family”) and Clarendon

“Weather Sister Ripped Off At Flicks” is in Roberta.

Headlines in Antikva Margaret (“U.S. Bombs”) and Windsor Elongated (“Thoughts On Being Human”)

Grotesque No. 9 for “SIERRA” and “feedback”

Franklin Gothic for the “Pusherman” headline, De Vinne for “Human Culture Time-Line”

Cooper Black and Haas Inserat Grotesk for “War-Season’s Greetings from JAPAN” . The ad below features two weights of Blippo (equivalent to Burko and Harry) and City.

Profil for “OKINAWA”. The ad for Midnight Films uses Mistral.

More Inserat-Grotesk for “The Sacred Tree is Dead”. Times New Roman is used for the poem at the bottom right.

The “KILL ’EM” headline is set in Windsor. Smoke and Futura feature for the Free Store ad and Helvetica for the one by Sound City.

The “Masturbation” headline is in Jay Gothic. Fonts used in the ads include Flash (“Native Son”) and Commercial Script (“MANDRAKE’S).

This double LP with the best of Ray Stevens (b. 1939) was released by K-Tel in 1980. The name of the singer-songwriter and comedian is shown in Parsons, a typeface designed in 1917 by Will Ransom. Parsons came with a couple of alternate swash caps and select glyphs with extra long ascenders and descenders. It didn’t have descending forms for R V S, though. Richard Flair a.k.a. Puritan Flair is a phototype version with more alternates, but it likewise lacks the glyphs seen here.

[More info on Discogs]

The Parsons Series as it was advertised by Barnhart Brothers & Spindler in the November 1917 issue of the Inland Printer

The self-titled debut album from April 1978 was designed by Zoran Busic with art by Rene Zamic.

Record collector, DJ and musicologist Klaus Hiltscher on Saga’s debut album:

In Germany the most sold Saga LP. I like this one because you hear also some rock guitars. In later LPs was the keyboards very dominant! “Humble Stance” is a very significant song for Saga, like “Satisfaction” for the Stones. To me it was the last LP which I really heard. In that year we opened our record shop ROCK ON, from then on I mostly heard Punk/Metal or New Wave like Gary Numan.

The cover established Solemnis as the typeface closely associated with the Canadian band’s early years. For the follow-up, Images at Twilight, the festive uncial by Günter Gerhard Lange was also used for the album title.

The track list on the back is set in Friz Quadrata, mostly in all caps.

The cover for Images at Twilight from May 1979 was again designed by Busic, this time with art by Tony Roberts.

Tracklist and credits on the back are set in Trump-Mediäval Italic.

Silent Knight was released in November 1980. Busic collaborated with Roberts another time. Solemnis made way for Parsons.

Wedge brings new life to a Canadian classic with its rebrand for Diana’s Seafood, a family-run business founded in 1979 and long trusted by Canada’s top chefs. For over 45 years, Diana’s has been known for its high-quality seafood. The rebrand translates this legacy for a new audience – from Michelin-starred kitchens to home tables – by positioning Diana’s as The Mother of Seafood.

Designed by the Montreal-based studio, the new identity combines simplicity, craftsmanship, and warmth. The monogram, formed by two fish creating a subtle D and S, serves as a mark of quality and authenticity. The logotype and titles are set in Martin by Vocal Type, customized with “fins” on the terminals of the S. The identity also features AL Milano by Alex Lescieux, used for text across six widths – from Compressed to Expanded – within a flexible typographic system that brings rhythm and character to the brand. Its use recalls the utilitarian lettering once painted on wooden fisherman crates, grounding the identity in a sense of craft and heritage.

Illustrations by Bill Rebholz add a warm and human touch that complements the typographic system.

Graphic design and production of the book Les métropoles face aux défis de la densité (“Metropolises facing the challenges of density”), published by the Grand Paris metropolis. Written in French, the book was printed in 1,000 copies over 336 pages, in a 170×240 mm format with Otabind binding. It was designed by Clément Le Tulle-Neyret, with assistance from Romain Laurent.

The running text is typeset in Haultin, a typeface designed by Fred Smeijers inspired by the work of the 16th-century French punchcutter Pierre Haultin, who specialized in engraving small typefaces.

The idea of density in cities goes back from the end of the 19th century. It was interesting to use AL Milano designed by Alex Lescieux to typeset titles, a typeface based on Adstyle from the early 20th century, when density was at the heart of cities.

Friends is the fourteenth studio album by the Beach Boys, released on June 24, 1968, by Capitol Records. The cover artwork was designed by Geller & Butler Advertising and features typography set in Cardstyle.

The all-caps Cardstyle is used for the album title, positioned against a colorful, hand-drawn illustration by David McMacken.

[More info on Discogs]

On the back cover, Cardstyle is supported by Helvetica Light. The photograph is by George Whiteman.

The new visual identity of the Max Radford Gallery since May 2023 was designed by Joel Antoine-Wilkinson, a graphic designer based in London.

The logotype uses AL Milano in its uppercase letters, specifically in the Bold Extended style. Milano, initially drawn in the Bold version in late 2022 and based on Adstyle, has now become a super-family with 36 styles available upon request offering six widths (Compressed, Condensed, Normal, Extended, Semi-Expanded, Expanded) and six weights (Thin to Bold). These capitals are used for exhibition titles, paired with Marist (Dinamo) designed by Seb McLauchlan, in Regular and Regular Italic styles for informative texts. There were three exhibitions in 2023: Welterweight / Amelia Stevens & Matthew Verdon (July 21–30), Greyscale (Sep. 16–24), and Lewis Kemmenoe (Oct. 14–22).

The identity covers the logotype, flyers, small publications, posters, business cards, T-shirts, and hoodies. The design by Antoine-Wilkinson for the exhibition Lewis Kemmenoe: Metallurgy provides a simple and concrete allusion to the showcased artist. His productions navigating between art and design, clash and then merge the warm and the cold, metal and wood, illustrated by a typographic interplay of silver ink overlapping with gold.

A poster for the 1922 Minnesota State Fair & War Exposition, printed by Latham Litho. & Ptg. Co., Brooklyn, NY, for Co-operative Publicity Bureau, St. Paul, Minn. The poster is signed by “Hart-Kaiser”.

While “For America and Humanity” is lettered, the remainder of the text is typeset in Publicity Gothic, used here in all caps with downsized caps for the “lowercase”.

Psyché is a symphonic poem based on the Greek myth of Eros and Psyche, written by Paris-based composer César Franck between 1886 and 1888. This recording was performed by the Residentie Orchestra (Hague Philharmonic Orchestra) together with the Nederlands Kamerkoor, conducted by Willem van Otterloo. The record was released in the Philips World Series, featuring a logo in Binner. Unfortunately, the cover design with the Rorschach test-like art in loud colors in uncredited.

The title is set in tightly spaced Chippendale. This all-caps face is shown by Lettergraphics in catalogs dated 1968 and 1976. The design is several decades older, though: Chippendale is an adaptation of a capital alphabet designed by Detroit lettering artist Charles Jay Strong (1866–1910). It’s shown without name in the second edition of Strong’s Book of Designs from 1917. Digital interpretations of this historical source include Key West (Kalynn Campbell for Roulette Studios, 2000) and MFC Petworth Monogram (Monogram Fonts Co., 2015).

The second typeface on this cover is an interesting one, too: it’s Neu-Kabel a.k.a. Cable perfect, a revision of Rudolf Koch’s Kabel with Futura-like forms for a e g W 7, issued by Klingspor in 1953 [edit: in fact, it’s Monotype’s Sans Serif with alternates, see comments].

[More info on Discogs]

Dust jacket for Alfred A. Knopf’s first edition of Michael Crichton's bestselling science fiction novel Jurassic Park, designed by Chip Kidd. The front panel and spine of the jacket feature text set in Enge Steinschrift, later and perhaps more widely known as Akzidenz-Grotesk schmalhalbfett (medium condensed). The K has been slightly modified from its original form, wherein the diagonal strokes should meet at the vertical. Here, the strokes appear to meet in a T, likely formed by artificially extending the upper diagonal stroke down to the lower half of the vertical.

A silhouette of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, illustrated by Kidd and loosely based upon the famous specimen AMNH 5027, spans the front panel, spine and back panel of the jacket.

The back panel features an advance comment set in Franklin Gothic Condensed and an attribution set in Times. The front and back flaps also feature text set in Times. The spine and the title page feature Publicity Gothic. On the latter, additional text is set in Electra.

The front panel and spine of the jacket feature text set in Enge Steinschrift, later and perhaps more widely known as Akzidenz-Grotesk schmalhalbfett (medium condensed).

The back panel features an advance comment set in Franklin Gothic Condensed and an attribution set in Times.

A silhouette of a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton, illustrated by Kidd and loosely based upon the famous specimen AMNH 5027, spans the front panel, spine and back panel of the jacket.

The front and back flaps also feature text set in Times.

The title on the spine is set in golden caps from Publicity Gothic.

The title page text is set in Publicity Gothic with additional text set in Electra.

He leads the way to the Torment of the UNDEAD —

Publicity Gothic with Caslon Antique for the poster of Doctor Dracula.
From The Holding Coat:

When it comes to Independent-International, nothing is ever simple. Doctor Dracula is edited from Lucifer’s Women (1974). Director Al Adamson shot some new footage in 1981, edited it into the film and released it under its present title.

Credits are set in a phototype version of Deepdene Bold. The Independent-International logo uses Brush Script.

First edition of Honey Holler, a play in three acts by Keith MacKaye, notable at the time for its African American protagonist and the use of dialect speech. Published in 1930 by Brentano’s, New York, with woodcut illustrations by the author. The dust jacket uses Parsons Bold, a typeface designed by Will Ransom for Barnhart Brothers & Spindler in 1918. It’s here used without any of its notorious oversize ascenders and descenders.

The title page is set in ATF Garamond.

First time I’ve spotted Slapstick in use! Despite its long tradition, the genre of letterforms made from logs or wood planks may not be the best-respected one. For this children’s album with instructions how to make your own instruments from plywood and broom handles, I can’t imagine a better choice, though.

Hap Palmer’s name is set in Stymie. Born in 1942, the singer/songwriter and teacher from Los Angeles “pioneered the integration of music and movement in the area of early childhood education”. The album was released by Activity Records in 1973 and distributed by Educational Activities, Inc. Art direction, illustration, design by Kristie Kelly, with photography by Peter Travis.

[More info on Discogs]

Originally drawn by S.E. Norton for Photo-Lettering between the late 1940s and early 50s, Slapstick was digitized by Erik van Blokland in 2011, with three layers that can be combined for chromatic effect. The digital Slapstick can be tried out on photolettering.com and licensed from House Industries.

The record labels are quite different in design, but feature some interesting typefaces, too. “Activity Records, Inc.” is set on a curve, in bichromatic caps from Pluto. The title is in Parsons, with an A that doesn’t lend itself to all-caps settings. At least the metal original came with a less sprawling alternate form. The track list is composed from Univers (Selectric) in two weights.

The gatefold has instructions for “making your own instruments”, with a headline in Parsons.

Back cover with Norton Slapstick, more Univers, and text in what looks to be Times New Roman.

Germs Make Me Sick! was first published in 1985 in the Let’s-Read-and-Find-Out series by Harper Trophy. The title typeface on the cover is Publicity Gothic, an extrabold display type with rugged outlines that originated at Barnhart Brothers & Spindler in the 1910s. It’s paired with ITC Souvenir for text.

In 1995, a revised edition with new illustrations – again by Marylin Hafner (1925–2008) – came out. Publicity Gothic was replaced with another coarse and heavy (and only slightly younger) typeface, Neuland, first issued by Klingspor in 1923. The current version from 2015 features yet another extrabold typeface on the cover. This time it’s Bango (JCFonts, 2011).

From Elizabeth A. B. Emmert’s review of the 1995 edition:

This book is intended for children ages four to eight and is full of accurate, easy-to-understand information about bacteria and viruses. […] Berger does a fantastic job of including a great deal of basic microbiology and immunity at an interesting and simple level.

Cover of the 1995 edition featuring Neuland and Futura Extra Bold.

Cover of the 2015 edition featuring Bango and Shag Lounge, the latter with contextual alternates.

Cover with a hand-lettered nameplate and tagline. The information on the bottom of the page is set in Cheltenham on the left and Nicholas Cochin on the right hand.

This glossy avant-la-lettre is one of the numerous gems in the collection of the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, accessible through their Rijks Studio: a website where the Rijksmuseum offers high resolution images of their collection, and where most of the images are free for download and (re-)use.

Art – Goût – Beauté, Feuillets de l’élégance féminine (Art – Taste — Beauty, a magazine about feminine elegance) was “A luxurious fashion magazine published in Paris from 1920 to 1933. It is illustrated with hand-colored pochoir images. Text is in French. Binding had gold sash.” (Otis.edu). Pictured here is the Christmas 1928 edition, No. 100.

Like the authors and the subject, the typography shows an international perspective, pairing typefaces from the USA (Cheltenham) and Germany (Block) with classical and more recent French type – Fournier Le Jeune and a trio of Cochins: Nicolas Cochin, Cochin and Moreau-le-jeune a.k.a. Cochin Blanc. In addition to letters, the printer/designer did not hold back when it comes to borders and rules and fleurons. You will find some of them in this Cochin catalogue by Debergny et Peignot from 1932.

For those who eager to pinpoint unidentified typefaces, there is an unknown Copperplate-like typeface on the third picture, and an interesting serif with square tittles and a Venetian e on the last picture.

What’s new: an advertisement on page 1. Custom lettering for the client (Redfern; Polyphème from 1910 has a similar lamppost r), with copy set in Nicholas Cochin, the magazine’s default typeface.

Page 4, more ads. The advertiser’s name is set in Fournier Le Jeune. Note the end swashes on r en e in the opening line in Nicholas Cochin’s italics. The complimentary caps with mini serifs are from a yet unidentified typeface similar to Copperplate Gothic. The text at the bottom is in (non-Nicholas) Cochin Italique with its characteristic cursive d and s.

Om page 15, a last advertisement before the articles start. Gant Fischl does not exist anymore, but judging from the depicted brand new factory (see also these photographs) it must have been a very successful brand. Korso, Ella Cursief and Rondka Urtyp are typefaces that have a similar feel as the hand-drawn logo. Text set in Cheltenham.

“Les Petits Riens qui sont Tout” (The little nothings who are everything) — must-haves for an elegant winter in Paris. Body copy set in italics from the typeface series that is used throughout the magazine: Cochin & Nicolas Cochin, by Peignot & Fils.

Page 18, corsets.

“Paris est Harmonie!” Opening page for the main part of the magazine: a series of illustrated single page style suggestions.

Page 26: an elegant hand-dawn drop cap, and a generous use of end swashes in the body copy.

Page 29. The decorated initial at the bottom appears to be from the Cochin series, too.

Page 41: a royal affair. An article by Princess Eugene Murat about luxury tableware, with a colored lithography of a solid marble and silver centerpiece for a dinner table.

Page 49, modern embroidery. Title set in Founier Le Jeune. Instead of using the swash caps, initial letters are set with the regular weight in a bigger size.

Page 51: Le sac à main et la mode – G. Silberstein discusses handbags. Title set in Moreau-le-jeune, an open style accompanying Cochin and issued by Peignot & Fils in 1913. It was copied by Barnhart Brothers & Spindler as Caslon Open Face.

Page 52.

Page 59, two advertisements, The top one mixes Cochin with Cheltenham, the “Darling-Cream” ad uses Block and a yet unidentified serif with Venetian e.

Murder by the Tale. A Luis Mendoza Mystery by Dell Shannon, i.e. Elizabeth Linington. Published by William Morrow and Company, Inc., New York, 1987. Jacket design by Lawrence Ratzkin, using Publicity Gothic, originally designed by Sidney Gaunt for the Barnhart Brothers & Spindler foundry in 1916. The smaller type is in a phototype version of Plymouth, another BB&S face from the early 20th century.

Source: www.korndesign.com License: All Rights Reserved.

License: All Rights Reserved.

Previous logo. Note Parsons’ right-facing feet on the ‘P’ and ‘l’.

The first Palm Restaurant was established on Second Avenue in Manhattan in 1926. At some point, the early-20th-century Parsons was used to reflect the restaurant’s history. The soft, flaring stems of Parsons Bold make for a good palm tree. The type family even offered alternates with long ascenders and descenders not so different from the ‘l’ seen here.

Over the years the logo had deteriorated into a mess of overcopied or autotraced art. Around 2009, Korn Design rebuilt the logo (replacing Copperplate Gothic with the original Parsons), and revamped the restaurant group’s entire identity, website, and menu system. Trade Gothic is used for text and trimmings.

Source: www.korndesign.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Source: www.korndesign.com License: All Rights Reserved.

Hollywood AKA Cinema, paired with Parsons for Neil Young’s Decade.