MacKellar, Smiths and Jordan

TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Mon Apr 15 05:28:35 EDT 2024

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MacKellar, Smiths and Jordan [Thomas MacKellar] Philadelphia-based foundry, which evolved in 1860 from the Johnson Type Foundry (upon Lawrence Johnson's death that year), which in turn evolved from Binny&Ronaldson (est. 1796). The proprietors were Thomas MacKellar (1812-1899), John F. Smith, Richard Smith, and Peter A. Jordan. MacKellar became the top exporter and producer of type in the 1870s. It united with 22 competitors in 1892 to become ATF (American Type Founders Co). Faces cut by them include the garalde Ronaldson Old Style (1884), named after James Ronaldson, one of its founders, and Campanile (1879). Monotype issued its own version of this typeface in 1903 with short ascenders and capitals the size of these ascenders. Jim Spiece did a revival of a classic Victorian typeface and calls it Zinc Italian SG (2002). The Victorian decorative typeface Ornamented No.5 (1888) was digitized and extended in 2007 by Nick Curtis as Vidalia Sunshine NF. Hermann Ihlenburg was one of their main punch cutters and type designers. Michael Hagemann made a blackletter typeface Spanish Main (2009) after an 1896 typeface called Sloping Black. The 1882 blackletter typeface Borussian was digitized by Nick Curtis and is called McKellar Borussian NF (2009). Hickory (2009, Michael Hagemann) is a revival of an unnamed ornamental Western font dating back to 1852 and was sold through a few different type foundries including Bruce, MacKellar Smiths&Jordan and James Conner's Sons. Monastic (see the1892 book Compact Specimen Book, page 280) was digitized by Toto as K22 Monastic (2010). Brazarri AOE Pro (2021, Astigmatic One Eye) is a revival of the Aztec emulation font Bizarre from 1884. Lining Gothic in their 1892 catalog inspired Jeff Levine's Order Form JNL (2021). An extra condensed serif typeface from that same 1892 catalog was revived by Jef Levine as Catalog Sheet JNL (2022). Specimen books include Specimens of original printing types cast by the patentees MacKellar, Smiths&Jordan co (ca. 1890), Specimens of printing types: ornaments, borders, corners, rules, emblems, initials, &c (1892, Philadelphia), Specimens of Printing Types (1890), 20th edition of the Compact Specimen Book (1892), Specimens of printing types, borders, cuts, rules, &c. MacKellar, Smiths&Jordan (1868), Specimens of printing types ornaments, borders, corners, rules, emblems, initials, &c. (1892), and Specimens of printing types made by the MacKellar, Smiths&Jordan co., type founders and electrotypers (1889). Also worthy of exploration is 1796-1896: One hundred years, Mackellar, Smiths and Jordan foundry (1896). Study and listing of their typefaces by yours truly.	EXTERNAL LINKS MacKellar, Smiths and Jordan [Buy fonts] Fontspace page MyFonts search Monotype search Fontspring search Google search INTERNAL LINKS Foundries of the 19th century ⦿ Extinct 20th century foundries ⦿ Blackletter fonts ⦿ Type scene in Pennsylvania ⦿ Nick Curtis ⦿ Western fonts ⦿ Victorian typefaces ⦿ Aztec typefaces ⦿