The Book of Love
detail, Craw Modern
Many of you have written to me and asked, “Sean, just how do you have such impeccable taste in type?” I’d like to say it’s simply who I am, but I must reveal my secret weapon. It’s The Encyclopaedia of Typefaces, published by Blandford Press in 1953. I’ve had this book since I graduated from college. It was $100.00 that was a month’s pay back in 1954. Whenever we buy a new cut of a typeface, we compare it to the cuts in the Encyclopaedia. What we discover is often disturbing and disgusting.
Many designers assume that the Univers they have on the computer is Univers. But it’s an ugly stepsister who has locked the beautiful Univers in a tower. When you see the difference between what we use now to the Deberny & Peignot cut from 1957, you will want to vomit. It’s that different. And don’t get me started on the Garamond. The elegance and grace of the Simoncini Garamond makes me weep. This may seem extreme, but good taste must be paid attention to rigorously. Anything less deserves severe discipline.
Encyclopaedia of Typefaces, Blandford Press, 1953
Grafotechna Garamond
Simoncini Garamod Italic
Univers 67 and 68
detail, Univers 68
Record Gothic Bold Extended
detail, Record Gothic Bold Extended
detail, Simoncini Garamond Italic
Tags: 1953, Blandford Press, Craw Modern, Garamond, Record Gothic, The Encyclopaedia of Type Faces, Typeface Design, Univers
July 16th, 2010 at 6:14 am
The ugly stepsister, lol. Poor univers… she is quote ugly. I so rarely use her.
July 16th, 2010 at 11:21 am
I always thought that my version Univers was evil AND deceptive.
When over at art school, I had an instructor named Roland that ordered me to redo a poster in Univers. When I posted the revised poster on the board, he tore it down and said it wasn’t Univers! I was perplexed, and he really didn’t fully explain that there were different cuts. This post brings it all back to that scary memory, but now I just have to laugh!
Your detail of Univers really is much more elegant and noteworthy. Have I gotten rid of my cut of Univers? Sadly, no. But, I think my next step is to see if they still sell this book anywhere and feed my type obsession even more…
July 16th, 2010 at 4:13 pm
Ah, the obsessions of experts!
July 16th, 2010 at 7:54 pm
Or the disturbed and obsessed.
July 16th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
That is cruel punishment and could scar you forever with Univers. Sadly, there are so many awful versions, it is a seductive trap. This is the devil’s true work.
July 16th, 2010 at 7:56 pm
Be gentle with her Chesley.
July 17th, 2010 at 2:06 am
Don’t even get me started on what the computer has done to Bembo…