Lettres ombrées ornées

This alphabet was first designed by Joseph-Gaspard Gillé in ca. 1820 and sold through its own foundry Gillé fils. It was then passed to the Haas'sche Schriftgießerei and Deberny & Peignot.

Pistilli Roman

Published by Aaron Burns & Co., Inc. (1965). This booklet announced the release of Pistilli Roman. According to this booklet, an italic, a light and light italic versions had to be released but never did. Pistilli Roman is to me one of the most elegant and unique Didot ever made. Just like ITC Didi and many others, Pistilli Roman is one of these beautiful pre-digital typefaces that were overlooked and never been digitized profesionally.

There's a note at the beginning of the booklet that reads :

How to Specify Pistilli Roman :
Pistilli Roman has been designed especially for photographic typesetting and is intended primarily as a display type face. It is available on film in sizes 36 pt., 72 pt. and 96 pt., and each size can be enlarged up to 100% (i.e., 72 pt. to 144 pt. ) or reduced 50% (i. e., 96 pt. to 48 pt.) It is not recommended for use below 24 point. To specify Pistilli Roman, it is necessary first to specify the point size or the desired height of the capital letter and, secondly, to indicate the spacing between letters. "Normal" spacing on the Typositor is equivalent to most metal typesetting with the exception that the Typositor has none of the restrictions and confinements of fine spacing that metal type has. If close letterspacing is desired, specify "tight" spacing; for very close spacing specify "very tight" spacing. Proofs are delivered either as 2-inch-high galley strips or in larger proof form with all type made up completely in position as per your layout or instructions. Normally, only one proof is delivered to you when ordering Typositor Typography. Since there are no negatives in normal Typositor Typography (the original is already in positive form, black type on white paper), file copy proofs only are maintained by our company. If more than one set of galley strips is required, additional prints can be delivered together with the original. Enclosed is a current price chart for your convenience. We shall be happy to estimate on any job and to discuss with you any problem you may have.

Aaron Burns & Company

…And a small biography of the designer on the last page :

JOHN PISTILLI is head of lettering design at Sudler & Hennessey, Inc., where he has been employed since I949. Born December 4, 1925, he attended public schools in Astoria and Long Island City, N.Y. He graduated from the Jean Morgan School of Art in New York City, where he studied lettering under J. Albert Cavanaugh. He has also completed art courses at the City College of New York and during World War II served in the U .S. Navy. Mr. Pistilli has received numerous awards from the Art Directors Club of New York and New Jersey, Type Directors Club of New York and the American Institute of Graphic Arts. He resides in Malverne, N.Y. with his wife, Dorothy, and their son, John Jr.



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Wood type from Switzerland

 

 

Holztypenfabrik Roman Scherer AG, Luzern. ca 1905. Roman Scherer († 1922) was the first and only known wood type manufacturer in Switzerland. His firm produced rifle stocks and various wooden furniture. In 1996, the manufacture closed and was bought by the swiss foundry Haas’sche Schriftgießerei. Since then, no new material was produced, but an after-sales service was provided by Haas to replace or fix the old Scherer material.

A few typefaces are copies or modified versions of German foundries creations like this one, while some are original and totally unique typefaces. They had a selection from the chromatic faces in which they cleverly used the technique of overprinting two inks which give an effect of seeing a third color.