Know your type: A history of fonts and graphic styles from 1628 to 1938 This compact yet comprehensive book offers a thorough overview of typeface design from 1628 to the mid-20th century. Derived from a distinguished Dutch collection, a series of exquisitely designed catalogs trace the evolution of the printed letter via specimens in roman, italic, bold, semi-bold, narrow, and broad fonts. Borders, ornaments, initial letters, and decorations are also included, along with lithographic examples, letters by sign writers, inscription carvers, and calligraphers. The first part of the book covers pre-20th century typeface, with texts by editor Cees de Jong and collector Jan Tholenaar. The second part covers the period from 1900 to the mid-20th century, and contains a historical outline by Alston W. Purvis. Featured type designers include: William Caslon, Fritz Helmuth Ehmcke, Peter Behrens, Rudolf Koch, Eric Gill, Jan van Krimpen, Paul Renner, Jan Tschichold, A. M. Cassandre, Aldo Novarese, and Adrian Frutiger. About the series: Bibliotheca Universalis-- Compact cultural companions celebrating the eclectic TASCHEN universe at an unbeatable, democratic price! Since we started our work as cultural archaeologists in 1980, the name TASCHEN has become synonymous with accessible, open-minded publishing. Bibliotheca Universalis brings together nearly 100 of our all-time favorite titles in a neat new format so you can curate your own affordable library of art, anthropology, and aphrodisia. Bookworm's delight -- never bore, always excite!

Author Biography

Cees W. de Jong is a designer and publisher based in Naarden, the Netherlands. He has published numerous books on design, architecture, art and graphic design, and is now working as a design/publishing consultant and author. Alston W. Purvis is professor of the visual arts division of the School of Arts at Boston University, USA. He is also the author of many books on graphic design. Jan Tholenaar was a collector of the printed letter in all its various incarnations; especially in the form of design catalogs and specimen books. He lived in Amsterdam, where he passed away in 2009.