Type ID needed
I would like to know who cast this font which I have, when it was introduced, and what its name is. All I know is that it was shown in what I think was a German atlas of type faces in 1889. This information and the showing was reproduced in the “Handbook of Early Advertising Art Mainly From American Sources”, by Clarence P. Hornung, Typographical and Ornamental Volume, Third Edition, Dover Publications, Inc., New York, 1956 (the showing is on page 202). Some of the letters in the font I have are different and/or missing from the German showing, however. If it was originally designed in Germany, it must have been modified for the American market. Thanks, Geoff
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This face was called, “Teuton Text” in the US. I don’t know when it originated, but it can be seen in early MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan specimen books. The font, that I have, is Two-Line Small Pica (22 pt.). What size is yours? MS&J cast three sizes; the other two were: Three-Line Small Pica (33 pt.) & Double Paragon (40 pt.). Many of those early text faces were not patented, so exact dates may be uncertain. My 1881 specimen book shows it, so it, most-likely, pre-dates that.
Dave Greer
Hello Dave and thanks a lot. My font is most likely the same size as yours. It measures .286” give or take, which comes out to about 20 3/4 points, if a point is taken as .0138”. I assume that the size difference from today’s 22 points, is due to the fact that the type was made before the adoption of the point system. There are scratch marks on the shanks of the type, which I assume is from hand finishing. Regards, Geoff Quadland
The face is, also, shown in Nicolete Gray’s book, “Nineteenth Century Ornamented Typefaces” (1976—pg. 88), as being cast by Caslon, ca. 1870, and that it originated in Germany. Caslon’s mold sizes were probably different than MS&J’s, if yours is of English origin. In the US, there was quite a range of mold sizes, in pre-standard type, listed as Two-Line Small Pica.
Dave Greer
Dave, I have Nicolete Gray’s book but missed seeing it there; thanks for pointing it out. Geoff
Any chance of getting a full printed sample of either of these sizes?
I’ve been searching for a source for years.
Brian Fuelleman