Caterina Valente – The Intimate Valente album art
Pracht-Antiqua is a typeface family that originated in Germany in the midst of the Second World War. Consequently, it didn’t find much use, and was largely forgotten soon after. One exception was Typefounders of Chicago who someone got their hands on it and showed all four styles of Pracht-Antiqua in the 1962 catalog of their Neon Type Division.
In 1966, the schmalfett or Bold Condensed was used on the cover of a bossa nova album by Caterina Valente, released on London Records. Coincidentally, this style is the only one to be available in digital form at the time of writing, as Pracht Antiqua NF by Nick Curtis.
The bold pink caps used for the song names look like they’re from Cooper Black. In fact, it’s a close follower by Mergenthaler Linotype named Pabst Extra Bold. Tipo Pèpel made a digital revival under the name Chopped Black.
