Metal type ID
Can anyone help id these decorative foundry types by name, date / domicile? All unknown to my small collection of type specimen books. The fancy first image is 18 point with a L8 pin, caps only. Second, 8 point with two nicks and no distinguishing pin. The third, 18 point with a Haddon pin marque on shoulder and three nicks on the front of the body. Much appreciate helpful comments
…and the images
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ScreenShot2014-02-228.jpg
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The first one came out about 1857 as De la Rue (Owen Jones Design), according to Nicolete Gray’s book. Mac McGrew’s book says that it was also Ornamented No. 1032 of the Bruce foundry. It was recast by Charles Broad in about the 1960’s and he called it Cicero. Your font is probably from Charles Broad (I would guess the L8 pin mark may actually be 18, for 18 point). Skyline Type Foundry now has the mats for the faces Charles Broad cast, although I don’t think Sky has cast Cicero yet.
The third photo is Columbus. A typographical curiosity is that the italic version of Columbus is named American Italic. Go figure.
The second photo appears to be DeVinne Extended.
Rick
Would it be possible for you to post a photograph of the “L8” pinmark?
The reason I ask is that most of the Typefounders, Inc. of Phoenix (that is, Charlie Broad’s) types were cast on a Thompson Type-Caster. The Thompson does not naturally produce a pinmark, but Broad had non-standard mold components made so that it would produce type with what looked like a pinmark (so as to make it look like type produced on a pivotal caster).
Attached is a photograph of one of these components - a Thompson “Type Body Piece” (colloquially called the “point blade”). It is the piece which both forms the right-hand side of the type mold cavity (from the operator’s point of view) and delivers the type from the mold. As you can see, it has been drilled through and a rod has been inserted bearing an engraved end. This has no function at all on the Thompson (other than to fake a pinmark).
These components passed from Typefounders, Inc. of Phoenix to LATF to Barco to me, so type bearing this pinmark could have been cast by any of the first three of these. (I have so far resisted the temptation to confound type historians of the future. :-)
Regards,
David M.
www.CircuitousRoot.com
TF of Phoenix Thompson point blade with pin.
Really interesting in such detail.
The 18 point pin marque seems the most obvious explanation. Could not find a single sort with flag serif on the stem of fig.1.
Recently purchased a couple of sizes of the elaborate Aboret No2 from Mr. Shipley, also Charles Broad’s mats.
David M. – photo of Cicero type’s pin. Finding the letter S with an abnormality.
Thanks.
18_L8_pin_Cicero.jpg
Looks to simply be a plugged-up serif on the bottom of the 1 on the pin. This piece would have been cast by ATF.
Rick