Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
Roger Zelazny’s science fantasy novel Lord of Light was first published by Doubleday in 1967. The dust jacket features mesmerizing art by Howard “Howie” Bernstein, who passed away last year at the age of 81.
The perfect typeface to go with the psychedelic art is Kismet. First cast by the Boston Type Foundry in 1879 after designs by John F. Cumming, the swirly face had a new lease of life in the 1960s and 1970s.
Note how the leg in R was made diagonal instead of vertical in this application. Such an alteration can not be found back in the phototype adaptations by Headliners and Photo-Lettering.
Detail from a specimen for Kismet as shown in a 1892 catalog with “Popular Designs for Artistic Printers. Selected trom the novelties manufactured by the Central Type Foundry, of St. Louis, and Boston Type Foundry, of Boston.”
