TYPE DESIGN INFORMATION PAGE last updated on Fri Dec 13 00:47:15 EST 2024

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ABOUT

William Martin Johnson

In 1903, William Martin Johnson published the beautiful Bulfinch Oldstyle at ATF. It was created for use in The Ladies' Home Journal (Curtis Publishing Company). Bulfinch was released for general sale to printers by ATF in 1905. Morris Fuller Benton helped in the production. Mac McGrew: Curtis specified a design devoid of oddity or freakishness, yet graceful and legible. Adjustments for practical foundry production were made by Morris F. Benton. Although it was used extensively as heads in their magazine, it was advertised to printers in general in 1905. Compare Meriontype. Bulfinch inspired Hernandez Bros (2021, by Daniel and Eli Hernandez). .

He also created the (Victorian) Meriontype series for use in the same journal in 1905. ATF writes The requirements called for a composite modernization of popular oldstyle typefaces, retaining all of their desirable features, while eliminating those proven undesirable. It was further stipulated that the Meriontype letters must be interusable with the letters of Bulfinch, or sister series. McGrew adds: Some letters appear to be identical in the two series, others are similar, although the serifs of Meriontype are generally a little larger and more angular. The lowercase g of the latter typeface has the appearance of being reversed. Meriontype was revived by Nick Curtis in 2014 as Meriwether Circular NF.

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Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Morris Fuller Benton ⦿ Nick Curtis ⦿ Victorian typefaces ⦿