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Type Specimens.

Holland disputes with Germany the honor of having been the birthplace of printing; and though Laurens Janszoon Koster may fairly be classed among the myths, the claim of Holland is just now in the ascendant. Though typefounding has been practised in the Netherlands for more than four centuries, and though Holland at one time supplied types to a great part of Europe, little is now known of Dutch typefounding outside of its own local field of operations. Even the Plantin Museum, with its treasures of ancient types, moulds, engravings, and printed work, is only a record of the past, having very little in common with present-day methods. It is not from any want of skill that the Dutch founders are not so well known as their German rivals, nor is it altogether from lack of enterprise. The German and American laws give efficient protection to the designer of new styles in types; the laws of Holland leave him without redress at the mercy of any pirate who chooses to electrotype the designs and undersell the legitimate manufacturer. Under these conditions, it is impossible that the art can flourish as it should.

The ancient and historic foundry of John Enschede & Sons, Haarlem, has forwarded to us three fine specimen-books, which prove that, under all the disadvantages we have named, the typefounding art maintains a high position in Holland. Following the old tradition, the house of Enschedé, like that of Plantin, is also a large printing-establishment, and many of the most interesting designs in their possession—specialties of the house—are not for sale, the proprietors having no desire that they should fall into the hands of the electrotype-fiend. One book is devoted to plain roman and italic fonts, and is dated 1883. In one respect it is more interesting than any other specimen-book we possess. As a rule, founders quietly drop out those faces that are out of fashion; in this instance, we have every style of roman that has been in use since the old-face was abandoned. In nearly every specimen-book we find some good feature that we should like to see generally adopted; in this one there is a preliminary table of contents in which the date of issue of nearly every font is given. This is of great value to all who interest themselves in the study of the gradual evolution and development of forms and fashions in type. Among the faces are some possessing English and some French characteristics. We find also in this volume a « non plus ultra » roman—the smallest type we have ever seen. It has figures, but no italics, and comes within the compass of 3·, or half-nonpareil, English standard. It is headed « op 4 Punten, » which we understand to mean that it is cast to 4· (Didot) body or « Diamant » —a size intermediate between English 4· = gem, or half-brevier, and 4½· = diamond, or half-bourgeois; and measurement of the specimen bears out this construction. There is also a « sanspareil » roman, about the size of English brilliant (=half-minion), cast on the same body; this is provided with italic, and is remarkable for the length of the descending characters. Both these sizes have the appearance of being leaded. The « non plus ultra » is not for sale. It must be as small as the « demi-nonpareil » cut by Henri Didot in 1827, and said to be the smallest ever made; but Didot's type—by means of a special mould— was cast to its own body. We have not seen Didot's, and know of it only from DeVinne's description. As a feat of punch-cutting, though not of type-casting, it appears to be rivalled by the Dutch letter. We would like to know the artist's name. This font, by the way, is not dated. Some may question the utility of such microscopic characters.

Most things, however, have their use, and this letter would answer admirably for the stringent conditions on insurance-policy forms and bills of lading. The second book, a large and finely-printed volume, is devoted to scripts, gothics, and ornamental letters. There is a very large variety of sizes and styles, but very few new to us. There are many of the old and well-known faces by Derriey, and numerous productions of English and American houses. There is a very fine series of Gothic, Nederduitsche, eleven sizes, cut in 1739-60, which is equal to anything of the kind attempted since. At the end of the book are several good series of initials. To one of these alphabets belongs the pretty floral gothic letter at the begining of this article. We have long known and admired the series, but never before knew the name of the manufacturer. We understand that the firm has a special specimen-book devoted to initials and book-ornaments. In some respects more interesting than either of these is a smaller book in the French language, exhibiting the ancient types of which this house possesses the matrices. None of these are for sale, and a very limited issue of the book was printed, each copy being numbered. An introduction, printed in antiquated script, gives the history of the house, which represents a succession of foundries dating back almost to the invention of typefounding. One font of Gothic is shown, the punches for which were engraved between 1470 and 1480. There are some bold roman initials, cast from ancient leaden matrices. There are some extremely curious old scripts, modelled on the quaint penmanship of the fifteenth century. It has been the fashion of English typographical writers, in lauding Caxton, to disparage the work of the Dutch founders; but a study of the little book before us shows that their work was not to be despised. We are specially struck with the fonts bearing the name of J. M. Fleischman, a contemporary of the first Caslon.^* This accomplished artist excelled in every kind of letter—gothic, script, roman, and italic. The latter faces are as clean-cut and even as the best modern « old-styles. » Most remarkable of all, however, is the music-type (on the modern plan) engraved in 1760 by this versatile genius, whose name we have never before seen mentioned in connexion with music-type. This type, for regularity and beauty, will bear comparison with the best modern work. All the authorities we know of attribute the invention of the modern style of music-type to the ingenious founder Breitkopf of Leipzig, who is said to have produced the first font in 1748. Fleischman's font is dated only twelve years later; and for half-a-century afterwards music-type of this kind seems to have been unknown in England. At all events, as late as 1810, in Rees's Cyclopœdia, a high-class and costly work, the type-music is in the clumsy old fashion, each character being cast the full depth of the stave. One of this artist's feats of punch-cutting was a series of Flamand, or Flemish black, beautifully engraved, in twelve sizes, from large canon down to « robyn, » which the founders have headed « non plus ultra. » The latter is dated 1762, and is about equal to 5·, or pearl body, and we do not think that it has been surpassed—we doubt if it has been equalled —by any later punch-cutter.

The Dickinson Foundry have produced a ragged heavy-faced sans with lowercase, entitled Erratick, 6· to 48·. We regard it as one of the errata of typefounding. A prettier novelty, and a useful one, is the series of Elzevir borders, 35 characters, 6· to 48·, a close imitation of the beautiful seventeenth-century flowers adorning the choice productions of the Elzevir press.

The Union Typefoundry has brought out a pretty series of Tile Borders, cast in three sizes, 12·, 18·, and 24·, 3 characters each, intended for 1-, 2-, or 3-color work. They are an imitation of the Foster Tile Ornaments. The same house shows 12· Brick Ornaments, a light design, 6 characters, suitable for groundwork or broken-corner work, representing brickwork in outline.

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Somewhat similar to these are the Wall ornaments, of the Union Foundry, Chicago. These are simple enough, a solid nonpareil 3-em and 1½ em piece with a slight bevel all round leaving a white line about 1· wide between the pieces when set, and the same two characters in tint—4 in all. The same house shows in five sizes, 12· to 18., American Old Style, (no lowercase) a misshapen form, a manifest variation, somewhat condensed, of Farmer, Little, & Co.'s « Abbey. »

Rustic titling letters, for news headings, in 7· and 9· line, are shown by Schneidewend & Lee, electrotypers, Chicago. They are a little heavier than half-tint, diversified with light and shade, indicating knots and irregularities—a very old-fashioned style. Carefully worked, they look well—as head-lines, printed with the average country-newspaper roller, they would have a dismal effect.