Type specimen pamphlet collection
Scope and Contents
The Type specimen pamphlet collection consists of promotional pamphlets for typefaces which were issued by type foundries to show typefaces' character sets, different weights or variations, and ideas for usage. North American and European typefaces are included in the collection, such as those from American Type Founders Corporation, Intertype, and International Typeface Corporation in the United States; Monotype Corporation Ltd. in the United Kingdom; Deberny et Peignot in France; Società Nebiolo Torino in Italy; and D. Stempel AG and Bauer in Germany.
Dates
- Creation: 1930 - 1980
Conditions Governing Access
This collection is open to researchers.
Extent
18 Linear Feet (38 boxes, 496 folders)
Language
English
French
Italian
German
Overview
The collection consists of nearly 500 type specimen pamphlets from North American and European type foundries.
Arrangement
The collection is organized alphabetically in folders by the name of the typefaces. Each folder is marked by three letters, which represent the first three letters of any typeface name, since many faces could share similar names. For instance the typefaces "Trajan" and "Trajanus" would both be filed in the "TRA" folder.
Other Finding Aids
In addition to this finding aid, a folder title inventory is available below. For more information, please contact the Cary Graphic Arts Collection.
Type Specimen Pamphlets
Custodial History
Several professors in the RIT School of Print Media assembled the specimen pamphlet collection during the mid- to late-twentieth century, for use in teaching typesetting and typography.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
A donation from Archibald Provan, circa 2000, forms the bulk of the collection. Additional specimens have since been added.
Processing Information
Collection processed by Cary staff, date unknown. Finding aid encoded from catalog record by Ella von Holtum in April 2020.
Subject
- American Type Founders Company (Organization)
- International Typeface Corporation (Organization)
- Intertype Corporation (Organization)
- Monotype Corporation (Organization)
- Bauer Type Foundry (Organization)
- D. Stempel AG Typefoundry (Organization)
- Fonderies Deberny & Peignot (Organization)
Genre / Form
Topical
- Graphic arts -- France -- History -- 20th century
- Graphic arts -- Germany -- History -- 20th century
- Graphic arts -- Great Britain -- History -- 20th century
- Graphic arts -- Italy -- History -- 20th century
- Graphic arts -- United States -- History -- 20th century
- Trade literature -- France -- Specimens
- Trade literature -- Germany -- Specimens
- Trade literature -- Great Britain -- Specimens
- Trade literature -- Italy -- Specimens
- Trade literature -- United States -- Specimens
- Type and type-founding
- Type and type-founding -- France -- Specimens
- Type and type-founding -- Germany -- Specimens
- Type and type-founding -- Great Britain -- Specimens
- Type and type-founding -- Italy -- Specimens
- Type and type-founding -- United States -- Specimens
- Title
- Type specimen pamphlet collection
- Status
- In Progress
- Subtitle
- Cary Graphic Arts Collection
- Author
- Ella von Holtum
- Date
- April 2020
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
Repository Details
Part of the Cary Graphic Arts Collection Repository
