John Baskerville Typography Research

John Baskerville

Baskerville 

John Baskerville was a silent hero of typography and someone that was really interesting to read about. Only few who knew him and respected his work. Even though his parents were financially comfortable, however Baskerville had a true calling upon typography.

Meeting Benjamin Franklin was what really struck me, as Franklin was visiting England at the time. He was really interested to meet with John; I was amazed "Franklin was probably just as interested to meeting Baskerville". Within that meeting he also meet James Watt (1736-1819) who was the person who improved steam and also made it commercially available & Joseph Priestley (1736-1806) carried out ground breaking work on gases, and discovered oxygen. These people were all well known except from Baskerville himself, a typographer; which is a huge achievement.

He definitely has a huge history through his way up the ladder, and towards his own type face.  From his "early years "Japanning was the application of a black varnish to metal house-hold objects such as sniff boxes, buttons and candlesticks". This was later to become his greatest invention of blacker ink than anywhere and he also had "experimented with paper technology" having later "achieved an unprecedented smoothness, he  then created a gloss surface"

John Baskerville, although being financially comfortable with his inherited wealth, he still made his own mark and set out on these new experiments that has defined and shaped the world of that century. His type however didn't pick up in England, however it was considered a hit over in "Italy". Italy was the next chapter that Baskerville didn't see as he died earlier before the font had journeyed; This was then pasted on by the young Italian "Giambattista Bodoni.

Giambattista Bodoni Typography Research

Giambattista Bodoni

Bodoni

Giambattista Bodoni is a very interesting person, taking influences by John baskerville he to wanted to become a typographer. Born 1740 - 1813 he was a dedicated hard worker, from the age of 16 he worked with his father in the family business which was in printing. His dream was to eventually gather enough money to head out for England and maybe get to meet with John Baskerville. Unfortunately he contracted malaria, a couple of days before he would've set out for England. 

The Bodoni type face is very bold, also for that year it was a very modern font. There is some similarity towards Baskerville's type; there has been some vast improvements made. The b in the picture has now a tail along the baseline and everything else has been made a fraction thick in line definition.

Bodoni broke a new era of design from this, from the history of type book I found out that "he did achieve some popularity in Britain". There wasn't as much information on bodoni's carrer. However he had a goal and he saw it to the end and that was the main thing i learnt through reading pages of his life; if you set your self a goal see it through and your dream may be a reality. I like the way the flat serifs work; sort of a twist to make the old new again. As when reading text the weight us shifted to the right hand side; this would be only the capitals. I don't believe that a typeface should be remade in anyway but everything is done by influence and references; so I guess its ok. 

Paul Reener Typography Research

Paul Reener 

Futura

A German Typographer, Type designer, painter and importantly creator of the type face Futura. Reener lived in a very dark part of history yet he didn't let it get involved with his dreams of a Graphic designer. This was the period of Hitler and his powerful rein over the german army, the age of immense politics was inorder for everyone and tight measures opposed towards the public from the Adolf Hitler.

Paul was part of an article writer for "Geberauechs Graphik"; this is where he wrote up on Russian propaganda which was against the war on Germany.This was later followed up by two nazi officer which came to the Reener House asking for him " can we speak to Herr Reener" towards Reener's wife. This was all to do about his particular writing's entries that he made in the magazine. They must have been very annoyed with this article in order of soldiers to actually come out towards the house. 



The futura font is very modern for the time it was created in and was considered a blunder once it was out in the open. The people of germany used to the traditional font of "Black letter"; which looks like another version of old english. Futura was completely different, because it didn't have any serifs. The font is very clean and very light; it is a very well designed type. I especially like the way the lower case j is almost like a longer i; it completely is a well balanced design. It is a well known font and has been made digital for everyone to use in many different note/word applications. The font almost is of a standard of Helvetica in my opinion.

Herb Lubalin Typography Research

Herb Lubalin 

Lubalin Slab Serif 

Herb Lubalin Born 1918-1981 in New York, a son to a Russian father and German mother. Herb was born one of twin sons, in their family life his parents were in the orchestra ; where his mother used to sing and his father would play on the trumpet, which had musical talent on both sides of the parents. His twin brother excelled through his studies and eventually got accepted to city college, unfortunate for Herb as he "was not academically gifted". Sadly it was down to the fact of him receiving "low grades". His true calling was in order to proceed with an art study, so he later enrolled on a "free art" school; and to have great success in the future. The young Lubalin was off to a "shaky start" but he gradually moved up on the ladder and "...The end of the course he was one of the best"; this path he was taking was the start of something very new for him as he enjoyed the work of calligraphy and other methods of type design.

He began his professional career working for a small company called Sudler and Hennessy; which was after the war and drugs and medicines needed to be advertised and, Herb was in the right place at the right time. Through his years at working for the company he was promoted to being the "art director"; from that of reaching to the highest in the company that was not the end of his hopes and dreams. He left the company in 1964 in order to create his own business.

Through reading these pages, it seems that herb was a very quiet man. Also his clear devotion towards his own business of working until it was finished; I believe if you love what your working at, you will never work a day in your life, this is what I think Herb saw through as well. Im very drawn towards this artist out of them all as he has had hard ship through having a twin brother with "academically gifted" and him getting low grades; it must of made him stumble and maybe thats a suggestion that he stays quiet. Though when it comes down to the serious matter of life and his relationship with his own sons "He only exchanged a few hundred words with his father there whole life"; a man very by himself and alone.

In his work he was inspired by the late 60s work of "psychedelic and art nouveau poster lettering" It really interests me when looking at typography that stands out and having a typeface that goes in-between each other is something completely new and definitely unique towards the area of design and type to the world. It was only until 1984 ITC (was Lubalin's company name) had 50 subscribers- "almost every manufactory... in the world. He introduced a vast number of new and interesting designs of font through out his career and something that was done by his genius mind set of reference and concentration towards his goal.