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Baskerville
10pt u&lc - Monotype No. 353
Cast for me and with me, by Harry Bollinger in Alden, Michigan.
Cut in 1923 under the direction of Stanley Morison. Originally cut by John Baskerville of Birmingham in the 1750s. It was first used for his publication of the works of Virgil in 1757. It was closely copied by in 1764 by Isaac Moore for Fry's typefoundry. Talbot Baines Reed, in 1890, said that Baskerville's type was "one of the most beautiful we have had." However, William Morris and Emery Walker found it "uninteresting and poor." In 1901 a Baskerville Club was founded at Cambridge University. Between 1910 and 1917 imitation Baskerville was found in the specimens of both English and American typefounders. And, in 1905, Stephenson, Blake, then the possessors of Baskerville's punches offered the type, paired with a "Georgian italic." Morison declares that Baskerville's "proportions are better, the face is clearer and roman and italic ... more efficient for present-day work." [Ref: A Tally of Types, Stanley Morison, Cambridge University Press, 1973.]
Bembo, Bembo Italic
Roman: 16pt, 18pt, 24pt u&lc; 36pt caps - Monotype No. 270
Italic: 16pt - Monotype No. 270E
Purchased from MacKenzie & Harris in the 1980s.
Cut in 1929 and derived from the first roman used by Aldus Manutius in De Aetna by Pietro Bembo in 1495. A two-page spread from De Aetna is shown on page 28 of An Atlas of Typeforms. Morison says, "The superior proportions and clarity of the Aetna type as recut, in comparison with that of the Polifilo [Aldus's Hypnerotomachia Poliphili of 1499], need no description." [Ref: A Tally of Types, Stanley Morison, Cambridge University Press, 1973.] ¶ "The typographic tradition which we now know as 'old face', which dominated European printing outside the German-speaking areas at least until the end of the seventeenth century, derives [from types cut by Griffo of Bologna and used by Aldus Manutius]. It was more delicately engraved than the previous Jensonian romans, with more contrast between the weight of thick and thin strokes, sharper serifs, and with two characteristic innovations: single serifs at the head of the main strokes of the capital M, and a straight cross-bar to the lower-case e....[I]t has become one of the most widely used book faces of modern times." [Ref: The Western Heritage of Type Design, R.S. Hutchings, Cory, Adams & Mackay, Ltd., London, 1963.]
The "...standard italic cut to accompany the roman is based on an original print of Giovantonio Tagliente, Venice, 1524...[It] does little more than adapt the forms of the original, a reproduction of which appears in an article on italic contributed to the second volume of The Fleuron." This italic was cut when the Fairbank italic (q.v.) proved to be a face worthy of standing on its own. [Ref: Morison, A Tally of Types.]
Bernhard Modern Roman
10pt u&lc - ATF 668
One of the first two fonts of Fairfax Press. Acquired used in 1970.
Issued in 1937, it was basically Bernhard Booklet with several characters recut. It was designed by Lucian Bernhard who had also done Bernhard Roman and Lucian in Germany before he emigrated. [Ref: Mac McGrew, American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century, 2nd ed., Oak Knoll, 1993.] The face is notable for its very long ascenders and open loop on "k". The font includes a section mark and a very nice ampersand.
Bodoni
Acquired from Kalacraft in Kalamazoo in the 1980s
Bodoni Bold 14 & 24pt u&lc - ATF 24
The Bodoni series is based on Giambattista Bondoni's work in the 18th century. It is to him that credit for originating "the style of letter known as 'modern' featuring mechanical perfection of form and more severe contrast between thick and thin strokes than traditional faces." [McGrew] ATF brought out its basic Bodoni series in 1910-11 and it became the basis for most of the Bodoni adaptations by other foundries. The original series was drawn by Morris Benton. ATF's series runs from 6-144pt. ¶ The following is a quote from the 1912 ATF Specimen Book set in Bodoni Bold, page 392: The new Bodoni Type Family is going to be a long-lived fashion because the design is of classic simplicity, elegant, yet strong, and like all real works of art its beauty will be appreciated the more it is studied.
Ultra Bodoni 18 & 48pt u&lc - ATF 518
Ultra Bodoni Italic 18 & 24pt u&lc - ATF 516
Mac notes that this face is "more closely related to the nineteenth century 'fat' faces." I agree. Looking at old broadsides from that period, you would swear it was Ultra Bodoni. And it is that resemblance that attracted me to this face in the first place. These two were designed for ATF by Benton in 1928.
Ultra Bodoni Condensed 18pt u&lc - ATF 562
This was designed by Benton in 1930 and, according to Mac, is "rarely seen."
Deepdene, Deepdene Italic, Small Caps
Della Robbia
Fairbank Italic (also known as Narrow Bembo, Condensed Bembo Italic)
Garamond
Granjon
Graphic Light
Hunnewell
Melior
Shaded Old English
Stymie
Underwood Typewriter