American Type Founders (or: ATF)

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American Type Founders (or: ATF) In 1892, twenty-three type foundries joined together to compete with the new typesetting machine, the Linotype [and later, the Monotype], to form ATF, which consolidated its type manufacturing facilities in a new plant in Jersey City in 1903. They were the dominant foundry in America until 1933, when ATF went bankrupt. Its collection remains intact at the American Type Founders Company Library&Museum at Columbia University in New York. The Smithsonian possesses most of the original type drawings and many of the matrices, and a number of other institutions and private individuals own matrices. Interestingly, despite the bankruptcy, it continued in operation until 1993, when the Elizabeth, NJ plant was finally liquidated. It was Kingsley's bankruptcy in 1993 that forced the final closure of ATF. In the early part of the 20th century, ATF was the dominant American foundry. Their specimen books are classics: Pacific Coast Blue Book (1896). Specimens of Printing Types (1897, New York). Handy specimen book; specimens of type, borders and ornaments, brass rule, woodtype etc. Catalogue of printing machinery and materials, wood goods, etc (1897). American Type Founders. American Line Type Book. Borders, Ornaments. Price List, Printing Material and Machinery (ATF, 1906). American Specimen Book of Type Styles (1912, 1352 pages---see also here and here). Supplementary catalogue : new type typefaces, borders, ornaments, brass rule (ca. 1917). Specimen Book and Catalog (1923, 1148 pages). See also here. In 2013, David Marshall of Sevanti Letterpress in Toronto scanned in and put up for free download high resolution scans of the entire book. The links: High resolution scan of the ATF 1923 specimen book (1 gigabyte, torrent download). Pages 1-300 of the ATF 1923 specimen book (PDF file). Pages 301-622 of the ATF 1923 specimen book (PDF file). Pages 623-1148 of the ATF 1923 specimen book (PDF file). Book of American Types (1934). Local download. MyFonts link. A brief history of ATF by Carol Van Houten. Reference books. View the digital typefaces that are based (fully, or in part) on ATF's typefaces. See also here, here, and here.	EXTERNAL LINKS American Type Founders (or: ATF) [Buy fonts] MyFonts search Monotype search Fontspring search Google search INTERNAL LINKS Foundries of the 19th century ⦿ Extinct 20th century foundries ⦿ Books on type design ⦿ Type scene in New Jersey ⦿ Type scene in New York ⦿ Letterpress ⦿