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Alfac Design

Nivelles: Alfac S.A., n.d.

Dutch-language catalog, 136 pages. Dated 1985 based on the inclusion of exclusives that were listed as new designs in a catalog from 1985.

Neue Typefaces – Exklusiv Alfac

Nivelles: Alfac S.A., 1985. [Scan]

Cover title is Alfac 50 Exklusive Schriften. Typefaces highlighted with the background color were promoted as being new designs in that catalog.

Alfabetische lijst van L.A.-letters, bevattende de soorten opgenomen in de proeven van 1932 en later, benevens de vootnaamste soorten uit de oudere proeven tot 1898

Amsterdam: Lettergieterij Amsterdam, 1968. [Transcription]

“Alphabetical list of L.A. design, containing the types included in the specimens of 1932 and later, as well as the most important types from older specimens up to 1898.” A photocopy of this document dated September 1968 is included in the Tetterode Archive at the Special Collections of the University of Amsterdam. Drukwerk in de Marge provided a transcription.

Type Foundries of America and Their Catalogs

Baltimore: Maran Printing Services, 1975. [Scan]

“Collective Specimen Book”

Philadelphia: American Type Founders, 1895–96. [Scans and info]

Particularly valuable because it associates faces with the originating or manufacturing foundries within ATF.

Printing Types of the World

London: Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., 1931

Chronik der Schriftgießereien in Deutschland und den deutschsprachigen Nachbarländern. Bearbeitet von Friedrich Bauer, Offenbach am Main 1928. Mit Ergänzungen und Nachträgen von Hans Reichardt

Frankfurt am Main: Hans Reichardt, 2011. [PDF]

Buchdruckschriften im 20. Jahrhundert. Atlas zur Geschichte der Schrift ausgewählt und kommentiert von Philipp Bertheau unter Mitarbeit von Eva Hanebutt-Benz und Hans Reichardt

Darmstadt: Technische Hochschule Darmstadt, 1995.

Berthold Fototypes E1

München: Callwey, June 1974.

Berthold Fototypes E2. Vol. 1. Body Types: Synopsis, Katalog, Layouts; (577 Type Faces)

Berlin: Berthold; München: Callwey, 1980.

Berthold Headlines E3: 1400 Headline faces arranged according to similarity

Berlin: Berthold; München: Callwey, 1982.

Berthold Types

Berlin: H. Berthold AG, 1988.

Four volumes (A–B, C–F, G–N, O–Z).

Faces

Cologne: Brendel Informatik GmbH, n.d.

Based on the information in the preface (mention of conversion from Ikarus format to vector fonts for the Apple Macintosh, but no mention of PostScript Type 1; mention of more than 20 years in business), this catalog can be dated to c. 1989 [Pool].

The Encyclopedia of Phototype Styles

Chicago: Castcraft Industries Inc., 1978.

Contains about 5,000 typefaces for phototypesetting, shown with full glyph sets. Started by the company’s founder David L. Kreiter (1915–1975) and completed by his brothers.

A Portfolio of Display Typefaces

Third Edition. Wilmington, Massachusetts: Compugraphic Corporation, September 1976.

A Portfolio of Text Typefaces

Fourth Edition. Wilmington, Massachusetts: Compugraphic Corporation, June 1977.

Faces from Letraset: The story of the display typeface collection

London: eLexicons Limited, 2016.

[ISTD Shop]

Albert Hollenstein 1930–1974: l'équipe, la collection

Paris: Typofilm, 1994.

Catalog for the exhibition Albert Hollenstein. Oeuvre graphique & typographique shown in late 1995 at the École Estienne, Paris, and in early 1996 at the Musée de l'imprimerie et de la banque de Lyon.

Emotional Digital: A Sourcebook of Contemporary Typographics

Mainz: Verlag Hermann Schmidt, 1999.

Face Typebook

London: Face Photosetting, n.d.

Index mentions “New Additions 1970”. Three ring binders in landscape format (Index and A–C, C–M, M–Z).

Caracteres de Photocompostion / Caracteres de Phototitrage

Paris: Face Photosetting France, 1987.

Oversized, two-volume, softcover set with black wrappers in black slipcase.

unknown

London: Face Photosetting, n.d.

350+ pages, ring binding. Dated c. 1981 based on the inclusion of Javelin, Shakespeare, Stars ’n Bars, V&A, and Zip as “Fresh Faces”. These are also shown in Modern Publicity 1982.

Filmomaster Type and Lettering Styles

Skokie, Illinois: Alphatype Corporation Filmotype Divison, n.d.

38 pages. Dated c. 1974 based on the inclusion of ITC American Typewriter (1974) under “New additions”.

Lettering Styles Display Types

New York: Filmotype Sales Company, 1955. [Scan of selected pages]

264 typefaces listed.

Type Specimen

Hamden, Connecticut: Southern New England Typographic Service, n.d. [Scan, photos]

Includes a section titled “Filmotype Lettering” with 364 styles from the Filmotype library. Dated c. 1958 based on text samples that mention “1958” (p. 10) and “Ford ’58” (p. 26).

FontBook: Digital Typeface Compendium

Fourth edition. Edited by Mai-Linh Thu Truong, Jürgen Siebert, and Erik Spiekermann. Programming by Andi Pieper and Ulf Wrede. Cross-references by Stephen Coles and Yves Peters. Berlin: FSI FontShop International, 2006.

The most comprehensive catalog of digital typefaces available at the time. Includes many fonts not available from FontShop.

Formatt Cut-Out Acetate Graphic Art Aids: Catalog No. 5

Rolling Meadows, Illinois: Graphic Products Corporation, 1974.

Formatt Cut-Out Acetate Graphic Art Aids & Formaline Charting Graphic Art Tapes: Catalog No. 6

Rolling Meadows, Illinois: Graphic Products Corporation, 1978.

Die Schriften des Fotosatzes

Gesamtschriftmuster der Fürst Spezialbetriebe für Satzherstellung in Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/M. Fürst, n.d.

Title page: “Alle Fotosatz Schriften 1/75”.

Der Welt schönste Schriften. Gesamtschriftmuster des Fotosatzes der Fürst Spezialbetriebe für Satzherstellung

Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt/Main: Fürst, n.d.

Dated c. 1976 based on the inclusion of AG Buch Rounded fett (p. 2.004, marked as new), which is dated 1976 in Gorissen 1982. Text samples mention “1976” twice (p. 3.010, 3.036), and quote the lyrics of “Aber bitte mit Sahne” from June 1976.

Type 1: Digital Typeface Design

London: Laurence King, 2002. [Scan]

Monotype series numbers

North Yorkshire, UK: Effra Press & Typefoundry, 2020–Present.
https://www.effrapress.co.uk/monotype-series-numbers/

List of Monotype typefaces with series number, year of manufacture, and notes about the origin.

Nineteenth Century Ornamented Typefaces

London: Faber & Faber, 1976. Originally published as XIXth Century Ornamented Types & Title Pages in 1938 and reprinted in 1951.

See also the chart with additional information by the Type Heritage Project.

The Headliners Reproduces in Process Lettering Wood & Foundry Type from the Comprehensive and Unique Morgan Press Collection

New York: Headliners International, 1964. [Photos] [Scans of selected pages]

“The 129 basic alphabets to be found in this volume are the cream of the famous Morgan Press collection of 19th century type designs. For the first time, and through an exclusive arrangement, these faces are available in photoprocess letering – from Headliners.”

The Headliners Present in Process Lettering More Morgan: A New Collection of Oldstyle Faces

New York: Headliners International, 1968. [Scans of selected pages]

Vol. 2 adds another 129 faces from the Morgan Press collection. Some designs aren’t based on vintage wood or metal type, but were sourced from lettering shown in Petzendorfers Schriftenatlas, Neue Folge, c. 1903–1905.

Hollenstein 74

Plaine-St-Denis: Hollenstein Phototypo, n.d. [1974]

Catalog in poster format

ITC Directory of New Typefaces

AKA MMG/ITC Directory of New Typefaces. Binder with contents released in quarterly issues. Edited by John Pfeufer and Joseph Treacy. New York: McKinney Marketing Group, Inc., 1993–1994.

Encyclopedia of Typefaces

First Edition. Poole, UK: Blandford Press, 1953.
Second Edition (Revised & Enlarged), 1958.
Third Edition (Further Restyled & Enlarged), 1962.
Fourth Edition (Entirely Restyled & Greatly Enlarged), 1970. Reprinted 1983 [Scan] and 1986. First Paperback Edition 1990.
Fifth Edition. London: Cassell Illustrated, 2008.

Fraktur: Forum und Geschichte der gebrochenen Schriften

Mainz: Verlag Hermann Schmidt, 1993.

American Wood Type, 1828–1900: Notes on the Evolution of Decorated and Large Types

New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1969.

Letterproeven van Nederlandse gieterijen / Dutch typefounders’ specimens

From the Library of the KVB and other collections in the Amsterdam University Library with histories of the firms represented. Amsterdam: De Buitenkant / Nieuwkoop: De Graaf Publishers, 1998. [PDF]

Letraset

Frankfurt am Main: Letraset Deutschland GmbH, 1976.

Letraset Handbuch Graphik Design

Frankfurt am Main: Letraset Deutschland GmbH, 1980.

“1981/82” on cover, “©1980” on title page.

Letraset Handbuch Graphik Design

Frankfurt am Main: Letraset Deutschland GmbH, 1983.

Letraset Handbuch 87/88

Frankfurt am Main: Letraset Deutschland GmbH, 1987.

The World of Letraset Products

Paramus, NJ: Esselte Letraset, 1994.

Lettera. A standard book of fine lettering

Teufen, AR: Arthur Niggli Ltd., 1954.

Lettera 2. A standard book of fine lettering

Teufen, AR: Arthur Niggli Ltd., 1961.

First published in 1961 with a purple jacket. The 5th edition from 1976 with a light blue cover is completely revised: “Of the original 38 alphabets 19 have survived the test of time, 7 have had to be revised, and 11 were eliminated. To the existing stock 38 alphabets have been added [for] a total of 64 alphabets.”

Lettera 3. A standard book of fine lettering

Teufen, AR: Arthur Niggli Ltd., 1968.

Lettera 4. A standard book of fine lettering

Teufen, AR: Arthur Niggli Ltd., 1972. [Scan]

Lettergraphics “Do a Comp”

Culver City, California: Lettergraphics International Inc., 1968–1975. [photos]

A set of Lettergraphics specimen cards issued with a single ring-binder hole in the corner. Copyrights noted are “1968” or “1969” on the cover of some volumes, and “1968 & 1975” on some intro cards. Most pages are numbered and were initially published with gaps for later additions, while other pages have a lettered suffix indicating they were issued after the 1968 date. The 1968 edition was issued in 8 volumes. A 1976 edition, “Do-A-Comp of Contemporary Type”, was published in 10 volumes [Design Resources, 1984].

Lettergraphics. The Photo Process Lettering People

Culver City, California: Lettergraphics International Inc., 1970.

Full title (as per title page): The Golden Book from Lettergraphics, the Photo Process Lettering People, for Professional & Student.

The Complete Lettergraphics Library

Culver City, California: Lettergraphics International Inc., 1976.

Nineteenth-Century American Designers and Engravers of Type

Edited by Alastair M. Johnston and Stephen O. Saxe. New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2009.

Circuitous Root

Mineral Point, WI, 2008–Present. https://circuitousroot.com/artifice/letters/index.html

An A–Z of Type Designers

London: Laurence King Publishing Ltd, 2006.

American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century

Second, Revised Edition. New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Books, 1993. [Scan]

Mecanorma

Le Perray-en-Yvelines: Mecanorma, 1970.

Includes 131 styles.

Mecanorma Graphic Products

Morristown, New Jersey: Keuffel & Esser Co., 1973, 1974.

Mecanorma 7

Versailles: Mecanorma, n.d.

Page 17 mentions “1975”. Includes 248 styles.

Mecanorma Graphic Book 9

Versailles: Mecanorma, 1980.

Includes 283 styles.

Mecanorma Graphic Book 12

Versailles: Mecanorma, 1986.

Includes 510 styles.

Mecanorma Graphic Book 14

Versailles: Mecanorma, 1988.

Apparently the last comprehensive catalog by the French manufacturer of dry transfer lettering. Includes 605 styles.

Mecanorma Graphic Book 8

Le Perray-en-Yvelines: Mecanorma, n.d.

Page 133 mentions prize winners of 1976. Style numbering goes up to 294.

Mecanorma Graphic Book

Le Perray-en-Yvelines: Mecanorma, n.d.

Purple halftone cover. Code on last page reads “91.79.7 Anglais”, indicating a 1979 date. Mentions “introduction of latest car models” and shows cars released in mid-1970s. Includes 244 styles.

A.T.A. Type Comparison Book

Advertising Typographers Association of America, 1965.

Dutch Type

Rotterdam: 010 Publishers, 2004.

Stephenson Blake: The last of the old English typefounders

New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press; London: The British Library, 2002.

Adrian Frutiger – Typefaces. Complete Works

Basel: Birkhäuser, 2008

English, French (Caractères. L’œuvre complète), and German (Schriften. Das Gesamtwerk) editions. A second edition followed in 2014, a third in 2021.

American Proprietary Typefaces

New York: American Printing History Association, 1998.

Schriften-Atlas

Eine Sammlung der wichtigsten Schreib- und Druckschriften aus alter und neuer Zeit, nebst Initialen, Monogrammen, Wappen, Landesfarben und heraldischen Motiven für die praktischen Zwecke des Kunstgewerbes. Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann, 1889. [Scan of the first edition with 144 plates, 1889] [Scan of the second edition with 160 plates, 1894]

Printed in three editions [Kunstgewerbeblatt, Vol. 14. Leipzig: Seemann, 1903]. Not to be confused with the later Schriftenatlas. Neue Folge from 1903–1905.

Schriftenatlas. Neue Folge

Eine Sammlung von Alphabeten, Initialen & Monogrammen. Stuttgart: Julius Hoffmann, c. 1903–1905. [Photos (archived)] [Cover and selected pages]

A compendium of metal typefaces and initials, drawn alphabets, and lettering applications incl. monograms, signs, labels, etc. Published as a series of 16 installments, each with eight plates. The first two booklets were announced in 1903 [Kunstgewerbeblatt, Vol. 14. Leipzig: Seemann, 1903]. Not to be confused with the earlier Schriften-Atlas from 1889.

Treasury of Authentic Art Nouveau Alphabets, Decorative Initials, Monograms, Frames and Ornaments is a black-and-white reprint by Dover Publications, New York, 1984. [Google Books]

Homage to the Alphabet

Second Edition. Rockport, Massachusetts: Rockport Publishers Inc., 1985.

List of Type Faces 1968

London: Photoscript, 1968.

Tall, looseleaf booklet with blue binder clip. White cover with blue title text.

List of Typefaces 1970

London: Photoscript, 1970.

Tall booklet. Blue, leatherette cover with gold embossed title.

Photoscript Binder

London: Photoscript, n.d. [Scans]

Large, blue, loose-leaf binder, labeled on spine and cover with “Photoscript 1” (presumably of multiple volumes, this one containing Lettering Faces, Outline and Inline, and Sans Serif sections). Full glyph set samples, one font per page. Undated, contents indicate mid 1960s.

Photo-Lettering: A Catalog of over 1500 Basic Alphabets + Variations

New York: Photo-Lettering, Inc., 1950.

This comprehensive catalog includes “all the 1600 [sic!] alphabets in Photo-Lettering’s library on March 22, 1950.” [Photos]

Alphabet Thesaurus, Vol. 1: A Treasury of Letter Designs

Edward Rondthaler (editor). New York: Reinhold Publishing Corp., 1960.

This comprehensive catalog includes every style in Photo-Lettering’s library up to that date.

1964 Alphabet Supplement

“A collection of new designs added since publication of our Alphabet Thesaurus, supplements 1961, 1962, 1963 and the Xenotypes.” New York: 1964.

Alphabet Thesaurus, Vol. 2: A Treasury of Letter Designs

Edward Rondthaler (editor). New York: Reinhold Publishing Corp., 1965.

This comprehensive catalog includes every style in Photo-Lettering’s library up to that date.

Alphabet Thesaurus, Vol. 3: A Treasury of Letter Designs

Edward Rondthaler (editor). New York: Reinhold Publishing Corp., 1971.

Ah! Big Little Book

New York: Photo-Lettering. Inc.. 1982.

A pocket-sized catalog of “Texclusives”, Photo-Lettering’s headline designs redrawn for text composition.

Photo-Lettering's One Line Manual of Styles: Index to Alphabet Thesaurus Vol. 3, 2, 1

New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, 1971. [Photos]

Precision Type Font Reference Guide

5.0 edition. Edited by Jeff Level, Bruce Newman, and Brenda Newman. Commack, NY:, Precision Type Inc., 1995. [Online Digitization]

A catalog from the major digital font retailer containing 13,000+ fonts from 60+ foundries.

Caratteri

Spresiano, Italy: Reber R41, [n.d.]

Dated c.1989 based on the inclusion of Orbital (1987) and Alfabeta (1988) and the absence of Nova Gotica (1989) [R41].

International Index of Hot-Metal Typefaces

Frankfurt am Main, 2011. https://www.klingspor-museum.de/Intl_Bleisatz_Index.html

A comprehensive catalog of metal typefaces (for manual and machine composition) known in the 20th century, including older designs. Merges info from Wetzig, Jaspert/Berry/Johnson, and McGrew, with additions from other sources.

Übersicht der internationalen Schriftdesigner

Oberneisen, c. 2001–Present. http://www.klingspor-museum.de/Kuenstler/Kuenstler_A.html

A list of type designers with links to background information in pdf format, researched and compiled by Hans Reichardt. Includes 12,203 designers as of April 2022.

A Database of American Typeface Design Patents, 1842–1899

Mineral Point, WI: Circuitous Root, 2015. [Link]

Compiled by Jane W. Roberts and Stephen O. Saxe. Published Version No. 4, 2015-04-03 (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International)

Schriftenkartei

Wiesbaden: Arbeitsgemeinschaft der gra­phischen Verbände des deutschen Bundesgebietes e.V., Bundessparte Buchdruck, [1958]. Several updates until 1971. [Scans]

A set of 600+ index cards, produced in an effort to catalog all typefaces in production by West German foundries at the time (Bauersche Gießerei, H. Berthold AG, Genzsch & Heyse, Ludwig & Mayer, D. Stempel AG, Johannes Wagner GmbH, and C.E. Weber).

The Rob Roy Kelly American Wood Type Collection: A History and Catalog

Austin: University of Texas, 2022.

Art Nouveau Display Alphabets: 100 Complete Fonts

New York: Dover Publications, 1976.

Special Effects and Topical Alphabets: 100 Complete Fonts

New York: Dover Publications, 1978.

The Solotype Catalog of 4,417 Display Typefaces

New York: Dover Publications, 1992. [Scan]

Solopedia: The Solotype Catalog of 4,147 Display Typefaces

Abfonts (alt.binaries.fonts), 2012–2015. http://abfonts.freehostia.com/solopedia/

A catalog of digital equivalents of typefaces shown in the Solotype Catalog of 4,147 Display Typefaces (1992) as well as in the various alphabet books authored by Dan X. Solo, the digital fonts from the CDs that came with the alphabet books, and fonts digitized by Solo from his collection of metal types. Includes many freebies and unauthorized digitizations of mixed quality. Doesn’t include information about the original designer or foundry.

New Alphabets A to Z

London: Lund Humphries, 1973.

Universal Schriftprobe / Spècimen des caractères / Specimen book of typefaces

Frankfurt am Main: D. Stempel AG / Münchenstein: Haas'sche Schriftgiesserei AG, [1974].

Das Stulle-Buch mit Schriften für Überschriften, Schlagzeilen, Headlines und andere große Worte

Stuttgart: Layout-Setzerei Stulle GmbH, 1985.

The Type Heritage Project

Abington, PA, c. 2011–Present. https://history.typeheritage.com/

Letters of Credit: A View of Type Design

Boston: David R. Godine, 1986.

Selection. Ausgabe Mai 1973

Düsseldorf: Typeshop, 1973.

Stated 5th edition, May 1973. 164 pages.

Typeshop Selection

No place [Düsseldorf]: Typeshop, n.d.

Catalog for the Headlines range by phototypesetting chain Typeshop. Various printings with different covers and appendices, c. 370–390 pages. Dated c. 1977 based on the included typefaces (Poppl Residenz, Poppl Leporello, Wiegands Baroque; all 1977) as well as missing ones (Media Light, ITC Cheltenham Light, Wiegands Renaissance; all 1978 according to Gorissen 1982).

Typeshop Serials

No place [Düsseldorf]: Typeshop, n.d.

Catalog for the Serials range by phototypesetting chain Typeshop. Various printings with different covers and appendices, 176 pages. Undated, but probably from between the late 1970s and late 1980s.

VdS-Kartei

Offenbach, 1905–1961. [Scan]

Card index of the Verein der Schriftgießereien, the association of German type foundries (1903–1972). Members registered new typefaces by sending a proof of the glyph set. Comprises more than 1,300 cards.

VGC Typefaces

Montreal: Luc Devroye, ?–Present. http://luc.devroye.org/vgc-typefaces.html

A list of typefaces by VGC. Started by Tim Ryan and later managed by Grant Hutchinson. With additions by Freddy Nader.

Photo Typositor Typeface Catalog

Second Edition. New York: Visual Graphics Corporation, 1969.

VGC Phototypositor Typeface Directory

New York: Visual Graphics Corporation, 1972.

Shows one-line samples for more than 1,200 film typefaces available for the Photo Typositor, including those reproduced from the T.J. Lyons Antique Type Collection and “many handlettered designs” (copied from Filmotype). [Scan]

The World-Famous Photo Typositor Alphabet Library

Tamarac, Florida: Visual Graphics Corporation, 1973. [Scan]

VGC Alphabet Library

Tamarac, Florida: Visual Graphics Corporation, 1976.

Post binding with red, third-party cover for Johnson/Kenro Inc., Freeport, New York.

VGC Alphabet Library One Liner

Tamarac: Visual Graphics Corporation, 1982.

Antique Type Samples, Vol. 3

Twenty Selected Typefaces from the distinguished T.J. Lyons Antique Type collection reproduced on film by Visual Graphics Corporation for use on the Photo Typositor, Volume III. Miami: ca. 1970.

Type Design Developments: 1970 to 1985

Arlington, Virginia: National Composition Association, 1985.

Modern Encyclopedia of Typefaces 1960–90

London: Lund Humphries Publishers Ltd., 1990. [Scan]

Der Typograph Hermann Zapf: Eine Werkbiographie

Berlin/Boston: Walter de Gruyter GmbH, 2015.

Handbuch der Schriftarten: Eine Zusammenstellung der Schriften der Schriftgießereien deutscher Zunge nach Gattungen geordnet

Leipzig: Albrecht Seemann Verlag, [1926]. With seven addenda for the years 1927, 1929, 1930, 1931–32, 1933–35, 1936–37, and 1938–39. [Scan]

Compiled with the aim to index all typefaces (for manual and machine composition) that were available from manufacturers in German-speaking countries at the time.