A foundry version with lowercase and accompanying Shaded (i.e.
contoured) style is shown in a c. 1873 specimen by James Conner & Sons.
First shown as wood type in 1879, patented in 1880, by
Wm. H. Page who sold it as No. 121. [RRK]
No. 122 is decorated with screw heads, a variation
first seen in 1879 by the William H. Page Co. [P22] Later knockoffs or
similar typefaces were commonly sold under the generic name
Mansard (referencing mansard roofs).
Page released a streamer
version in 1882.
Photo-Lettering’s One Line catalog (1971) shows six
variants; Mansard (w/ contour), M. Block, M. Block
Condensed (w/ lc), plus three outlined and partly filled
styles (no lc); M. Pointed A,
B, and Alternating. Appears as
Helvin (w/ screws) and Helvin
Black (solid, no lc) in a VGC catalog from 1972. Shown in
the Solotype catalog as Helven Ornate and
Helven (no lc), next to Rodeo, a very
similar style with lowercase. Rodeo was carried by Letraset (with ATF
credits) and appears in Phil’s Homage to the Alphabet.
Solotype additionally had Rodeo Condensed (no lc) and
Rodeo Tablet (=
Streamer No 36). Appears as W-107 (no lc)
in Headliners' Morgan Press Collection. Lettergraphics had it as
Corral (w/ lc). Their Slim Dandy is a related design.
Digitally revived by Tim Ryan under the VGC names (Type
Revivals, Helvin Black with lowercase). James
Grieshaber’s HWT
Archimedes (Hamilton Wood Type Foundry, 2017) comes in a
solid style plus four ornamented ones with More…
A foundry version with lowercase and accompanying Shaded (i.e. contoured) style is shown in a c. 1873 specimen by James Conner & Sons.
First shown as wood type in 1879, patented in 1880, by Wm. H. Page who sold it as No. 121. [RRK] No. 122 is decorated with screw heads, a variation first seen in 1879 by the William H. Page Co. [P22] Later knockoffs or similar typefaces were commonly sold under the generic name Mansard (referencing mansard roofs). Page released a streamer version in 1882.
Photo-Lettering’s One Line catalog (1971) shows six variants; Mansard (w/ contour), M. Block, M. Block Condensed (w/ lc), plus three outlined and partly filled styles (no lc); M. Pointed A, B, and Alternating. Appears as Helvin (w/ screws) and Helvin Black (solid, no lc) in a VGC catalog from 1972. Shown in the Solotype catalog as Helven Ornate and Helven (no lc), next to Rodeo, a very similar style with lowercase. Rodeo was carried by Letraset (with ATF credits) and appears in Phil’s Homage to the Alphabet. Solotype additionally had Rodeo Condensed (no lc) and Rodeo Tablet (= Streamer No 36). Appears as W-107 (no lc) in Headliners' Morgan Press Collection. Lettergraphics had it as Corral (w/ lc). Their Slim Dandy is a related design.
Digitally revived by Tim Ryan under the VGC names (Type Revivals, Helvin Black with lowercase). James Grieshaber’s HWT Archimedes (Hamilton Wood Type Foundry, 2017) comes in a solid style plus four ornamented ones with different screwhead types and has a wide language support. Other digital interpretations include OPTI Rodeo (Castcraft, 1990–1991), 57 Rodeo (Baseline Fonts, 2002), Red Dog Saloon and the spurred Go West (FontMesa, 2002/2006, w/ additional Open and Fill styles), and Iraan NF (Nick’s Fonts, 2007, caps only, with stars-and-stripes treatment). Wood Type Customs offers a wood type version.
