Golden Type

The Golden Type among other typefaces used by the Kelmscott Press.

The Golden Type is a serif font designed by William Morris for the Kelmscott Press, based on the work of Nicolas Jenson in Venice around 1470.[1][2][3] To prepare the design, Morris commissioned enlarged photographs of Jenson's books from the artist Emery Walker (which survive), from which he prepared drawings.[4][5] The design was then cut into metal in a single size by Edward Prince and cast by the company of Morris's friend Talbot Baines Reed.[6][7][4][8][9] It is named for The Golden Legend, which was intended to be the first book printed using it.[1]

In its replication of antique, Italian renaissance printing and its utter rejection of sharp-edged contemporary "modern" or Didone typefaces, the Golden Type reflected a trend of interest in early printing as part of the Arts and Crafts Movement. It is however a loose revival, somewhat bolder than Jenson's original engraving, giving it something of the appearance of medieval blackletter writing, and it has been criticised for ponderousness due to this heavy "type colour" on the page.[2][10][11][4] The design has neither an italic nor a bold weight, as neither of these existed in Jenson's time.

The Doves Type sparked a trend of other typefaces in a similar style commissioned for fine book printing in Britain, including that of the Doves Press, which was co-founded by Walker.[12] Several of these typefaces were also cut by Prince.[4] Many similar Jenson revivals, including Cloister Old Style, the Doves Type, Centaur, Adobe Jenson and Hightower Text have been created since, most more faithful to Jenson's original work.[13][2] It also influenced some of the work of Frederic Goudy.[14]

The Golden Type has been digitised by ITC.[15] The original punches and matrices, along with all of Morris's other typefaces, survive in the collection of Cambridge University Press.[16]

References

  1. 1 2 Charles Harvey; Jon Press (1991). William Morris: Design and Enterprise in Victorian Britain. Manchester University Press. pp. 201–2. ISBN 978-0-7190-2419-1.
  2. 1 2 3 Alexander S. Lawson (January 1990). Anatomy of a Typeface. David R. Godine Publisher. pp. 47–51. ISBN 978-0-87923-333-4.
  3. ↑ Elisabeth Luther Cary (1902). William Morris: poet, craftsman, socialist. G. P. Pvtnam's Sons. pp. 219–230.
  4. 1 2 3 4 William S. Peterson (1991). The Kelmscott Press: A History of William Morris's Typographical Adventure. University of California Press. pp. 39, 81–95, 194–305. ISBN 978-0-520-06138-5.
  5. ↑ Dreyfus, John (1991). "A Reconstruction of the Lecture given by Emery Walker on 15 November 1888". Matrix. 11: 27–52.
  6. ↑ Mosley, James. "Talbot Baines Reed, typefounder and sailor". Typefoundry. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
  7. ↑ Neil Macmillan (2006). An A-Z of Type Designers. Yale University Press. p. 138. ISBN 0-300-11151-7.
  8. ↑ Dreyfus, John (1974). "New Light on the Design of Types for the Kelmscott and Doves Presses". The Library. s5-XXIX (1): 36–41. doi:10.1093/library/s5-XXIX.1.36.
  9. ↑ Tuohy, Stephen (1990). "A New Photograph of Edward Prince, Typefounders' Punchcutter". Matrix. 10: 135–142.
  10. ↑ Katherine Bergeron (10 August 1998). Decadent Enchantments: The Revival of Gregorian Chant at Solesmes. University of California Press. pp. 27–35. ISBN 978-0-520-91961-7.
  11. ↑ Irene Tichenor (2005). No Art Without Craft: The Life of Theodore Low De Vinne, Printer. David R. Godine Publisher. pp. 116–140. ISBN 978-1-56792-286-8.
  12. ↑ "Doves Type Revival". Type Spec. Retrieved 24 September 2016.
  13. ↑ Leslie J. Workman; Kathleen Verduin (1996). Medievalism in England II. Boydell & Brewer Ltd. pp. 169–180. ISBN 978-0-85991-487-1.
  14. ↑ Frederic William Goudy (1940). Typologia: Studies in Type Design & Type Making, with Comments on the Invention of Typography, the First Types, Legibility, and Fine Printing. University of California Press. pp. 148–155. ISBN 978-0-520-03308-5.
  15. ↑ "ITC Golden Type". MyFonts. International Typeface Corporation. Retrieved 23 September 2016.
  16. ↑ William S. Peterson (1991). The Kelmscott Press: A History of William Morris's Typographical Adventure. University of California Press. pp. 272–4. ISBN 978-0-520-06138-5.

External links

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