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Type Specimens.

Schelter & Giesecke have brought out, under the name of Astræa, an exceedingly pretty condensed lined ornamented with lowercase, in five sizes, 12· to 60·, American standard. In our Liége contemporary, l'Imprimerie Belge, we find two series of small Vignette Ornaments, by the same firm. They consist chiefly of insect-subjects—moths, grasshoppers, dragonflies, &c., with two or three birds. Series A contains 28 and series D 26 characters, the latter series being mostly the same sketches as the former, but of larger size. Others we find in the Revista Tipografica. Series E contains 25 pretty subjects—flowers, fruit, lizards, &c., mostly in white on a solid circular ground, the design in all cases extending beyond the circle. Series G, 9 characters, is the well-known American Ink-spots, and series H, 25 characters, consists of figures selected from MacKellar's Silhouette No. 1. Mortised Initials, as originated and developed in America, are among the horrors of modern typography; but Schelter & Giesecke have brought some artistic taste to bear upon the idea, and the result is a pretty though somewhat sprawling series, in Missal style, for one- and two-color work. There are four alphabets, 36· to 72·. The initials are face-tinted, adorned with light ornaments in the interior, and provided with end-and extension-ornaments to correspond. They fill an entirely new place in ornamental typography, and will be welcomed by artistic printers everywhere. It is a considerable time since we received any specimens from this house direct, and all we know of their later novelties is what we have found in trade contemporaries. [After this page was made up, we received a handsome supplementary specimen-book from Messrs Schelter & Giesecke, showing all the novelties here noted, with many others. Having been sent to our old address, it met with some delay, We reserve a fuller notice.]

The new Corner Ornaments by Klinkhardt in some respects excel his previous productions in that direction. There are two sets, the first containing 20 and the second 38 characters. The latter especially are charming vignettes—the largest not more than an inch square.

Fantasia, by the Bauer Foundry, Stuttgart, is a neat ornamented, with lowercase, something like the pretty Acadian of the Cleveland Foundry. It is in four sizes, 10· to 48·, and is cast to the American standard.

We do not know whether the name of Ramm & Seemann, Leipzig, is a new one in the trade—at all events it is quite new to us. They have brought out a charming series of Floral Vignettes, 25 subjects, about an inch square, representing the Rose, Apple, Pansy, Edelweiss, Hop, Convolvulus, &c., and combining the accuracy of a botanical delineation with artistic grace and delicacy of execution. We would like to see further specimens from this house.

The Actiengesellschaft für Schriftgiesserei und Maschinenbau, Offenbach-am-Main [this line ought to be kept standing], send us a parcel of beautiful specimens. First we note the delightfully humorous Gnome border (series 63) referred to in our September number. The combination contains twenty-two characters, one-half being irresistibly comic figures of the little subterranean imps who figure so largely in German folk-lore. They are as full of character as any of Cruikshank's or Doyle's fancies. The other eleven characters are flower-ornaments, a bird side-piece, and justifying characters. The border is not costly, and would be an acquisition to any artistic printer. On a card, and beautifully brought out in tints, is a Rustic Floral border, with Cupid corners, of which we have no synopsis. Two parallel stems are decorated with vine-leaves and clusters of flowers, and birds, the special intention of the design apparently being menu work. Ten characters appear on the card—four corners, four centres, and two running-pieces. The smaller of the latter is somewhat squarely finished at one side, and does not combine as freely as it might with the others, and this is the only fault we detect in the border. The little nude figures at the corners are in perfect drawing, and charming both in attitude and expression. Series 71 contains fourteen sets of Corners and Centres for bills of fare, programs, hunting, sporting, rowing, &c. They are all artistic, well-finished and moderate in price. We would be glad to have the specimen-book of this establishment, of which at present we know very little.

To several German novelties shown in our exchanges, we cannot refer in detail, for the reason that we have not the slightest clue as to the houses by whom they are originated. Manufacturers are acting very unwisely in allowing agents to suppress their names. While we describe every type or mechanical novelty that we can identify, and freely open our columns to illustrative specimens, for the general good of the Craft, we will not make Typo the medium of free advertisements for middlemen. Will some more of our friends the foreign typefounders regularly send us specimens direct?

Harry Mitchell & Co., 88 George-street, Edinburgh, show fine Headpieces and Book Ornaments. Some of these are the same as those brought out in St Louis by the J. E. Mangan Printing Company.

F. Wesselhoeft, London, shows about twenty very artistic Headpieces, selected from a series of nearly one hundred, designed by English artists and engraved by English engravers.

Fillet is the latest whim of the Johnson Foundry, an old-style heavy sans, 18·, 24·, and 36·, the peculiarity of which is that a thin and curiously-twisted ribbon runs through all the letters, joining in the centre, and occupying the open spaces. With this, is a border (No. 99) of 31 characters, to which may be added 15 supplied with the founts. As a little flourish to fill an odd corner, some of these pieces may be of use, as a regular border, they are not a success. The three Cupid figures, 29, 30, 31, are absurdly ill-drawn and wooden. It is no disgrace to an artist that he does not succeed in figure-drawing—the highest and most difficult branch of art—but he ought to know his weak points and avoid them. The figures in the old Silhouette, No. 2, are also bad. The only successful introduction of infant figures into American ornaments, that we can recal, is that of the Cupid initials of the J. E. Mangan Engraving Company, lately noted by us. Spiral is a curiously curled and jagged letter with lower-case, in four sizes, 12· to 36·.

Marder, Luse & Co. show Alaskan, a sanserif with several elements of eccentricity—a legible but not beautiful style. Eight sizes, 6· to 48·. Hexagon, with lower-case, is somewhat in the style of the Modoc; angles taking the place of curves, and the o being hexangular. Three sizes, 6·, 18·, 24·. Mansfield, four sizes, 12· to 48·, is not unlike the Lafayette; but is heavier and less condensed. Ebony, four sizes, 18· to 48·, is in the Art Gothic style, but bolder and heavier.

The J. E. Mangan Printing Company continue to show their cuts in the Artist Printer, and there are many clever and original designs. We are glad to see long rectangular side-pieces after the fashion of the head-pieces in common use. One of these down the side—or a pair, one each side—of a program or page of verse where the lines are very short, adds greatly to the effect, and looks better than a length of combination border.

The Cleveland Foundry's Ronde in five sizes, 12· to 36·, is not specially remarkable as to the lower-case, which is very like that of the Hiawatha, but has an original feature in its curiously-scrolled caps. It has the cleanness of cut and beauty of finish characteristic of the work of this foundry. We do not like giving an old title to a new face. Ronde is the accepted name, both in England and France, for the upright script known in Germany as Rundschrift—a style to which the present letter bears no resemblance.

Art Initials, electrotyped from curved and filed brass-rule, executed and offered to the trade by W. P. Harmon, Minneapolis, are shown in our American exchanges. Some—the S and O, for instance, are pretty, but the majority of the letters are more curious than pleasing.