favourite sources for metal type research

Lukas Horn

Hello!

I'm aware that some of you do their research on old type by going into archives. Furthermore there are possibilities to see rar type specimens on platforms like archive.org. 
Admittedly I feel a bit overwhelmed as a graphic design student looking for examples of old metal type. Where and how do you do your research for example on specific typefaces like a Granjon, Garamond or Griffo (I mean prints done with the original matrizes of their workshops – not reissues)?

(Now it's more like looking for something specific and getting something other like nice surprises I wasn't looking for.
Like this fine discovery:
https://euvs-vintage-cocktail-books.cld.bz)

I'm thrilled to hear your perspective on this matter!

Dan Reynolds

Hey Lukas!

The best way to examine these types depends a bit on where one is. Fortunately, I know where you are. The best way for you to examine prints of types cut by Granjon, Garamond or Griffo is to go to the Berlin State Library (the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin) and order books printed with those types to view in their rare book reading room, which is in the branch on Unter den Linden. The trick is that you first need to know which books where printed with those punchcutters’ types, and then you have to see if the library has the specific book in question, but there are resources you can use to help you determine this. A lot of history of graphic design and history of typography books will feature images of books printed by Aldus Manutius with the types Griffo cut for him. So looking at the captions will give you those titles.

Garamond and Granjon will probably require a little more secondary source consulting. While you’re in the rare book reading room, you can look at their reference copy of Vervliet’s book French Renaissance printing types: a conspectus. You can see there the types that Garamond and Granjon cut, which printers used them, etc., and then you shoudl be able to search for books set in them. There are several other reference books listing type by Garamond and Granjon; I suspect that most good research libraries will have at least one of them, and you can use them before requesting to view books you’d like to see.

The Staatsbibliothek also has a large digital collection of its holdings. For example, you can see their copy of the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili printed by Manutius (with type from Griffo). There are surely plenty of other digital editions of this book on the Internet, too.

https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN1031167048&PHYSID=PHYS_0009

The library also has digital copies of books printed by Plantin. I have not examined these myself, but some of them might include types from Garamond, Granjon, Van den Keere, etc. https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/suche?queryString=Plantin&fulltext=&junction=

I hope this is a helpful start!

Jacob Casal

Be sure to be attentive to page numbers when flipping through pages in the Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin digital copies. I’ve been using it as a resource for a particular typeface recently and occasionally it will skip a page, you don’t want to miss potential type, but of course it is obvious when it happens.

There is also Gallica which houses many good quality French works. The British Library has a scanned works as well, but at least in my explorations and purpose most metal type documents are not digitally available. This next one is more of an exception: if you are able to find a repository of Google book scans around a particular topic, then you can occasionally find some pretty obscure type. Google book scans are often not in the crispest quality, but by searching a title of interest found on Google Books you can sometimes find a higher quality scan of that title archived elsewhere. This tactic led me from a low quality, Google Books, black and white scan to a high quality Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin digital copy in my case.

André G. Isaak

Dan Reynolds said:

https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN1031167048&PHYSID=PHYS_0009

Oooh! Thanks for that link! I now have a much higher quality .pdf of the Hypnerotomachia than I used to! That's one of my two favourite books!

Nick Shinn

American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century, by Matt McGrew.
Very comprehensive.

Stephen Coles

Sounds like most of what you’re looking for is pre Industrial Revolution, but if you’re interested in 19th- and 20th-century type, I’m working on a list of specimens available online, sorted by foundry. I’ll post here when it’s done.

In the meantime, the Internet Archive does indeed host quite a few foundry catalogs. Their images — if captured by their machines or provided by David MacMillan — are generally decent. Google’s are poor and useful only for reference, as Jacob said. Gallica’s are excellent. Silver Buckle has a good quality digital collection of American type specimens.

Speaking of the Hypnerotomachia, Letterform Archive also holds a very clean copy. Here’s an image we shot for our publication, The Occasional, which recently shipped out to our mailing list.





We photograph our collection with a 100-megapixel camera and raking light, so the result is much less flat than scans. It does mean there isn't extreme contrast on the type edges, so it’s not best for tracing a letterform, but it’s great for getting as close to the real printed page as possible.

You can request hi-fi captures from any object at the Archive for $25/image. (With extra fees for any further reproduction.) Contact us with requests for specific typefaces, foundries, or printers.

Stephen Coles

See also Books About Type Design and Founding in the United States of America.

Stephen Coles

Oh! Don’t miss CAST Foundry’s excellent series of articles on early type, including Jenson, other Venetians, other early Romans, and Bodoni. The research and images are top notch.

Claudio Piccinini

Stephen Coles said:

Sounds like most of what you’re looking for is pre Industrial Revolution, but if you’re interested in 19th- and 20th-century type, I’m working on a list of specimens available online, sorted by foundry. I’ll post here when it’s done.

Applause!

Lukas Horn

This is exactly what I'm looking for! Thank you a lot for your help Dan, Stephen, Jacob & Nick!

Claudio Piccinini

@Lukas Horn Not a specimen, but this thesis by @LeMo aka PatternMan aka Frank E Blokland might be of your interest:

"On the origin of patterning in movable Latin type : Renaissance standardisation, systematisation, and unitisation of textura and roman type".

https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/43556

Also here: https://www.lettermodel.org/

Stephen Coles

Sounds like most of what you’re looking for is pre Industrial Revolution, but if you’re interested in 19th- and 20th-century type, I’m working on a list of specimens available online, sorted by foundry. I’ll post here when it’s done.

It’s up!