Arboret Ornaments

Just to show off how nicely Arboret's ornaments are packaged at Skyline Type Foundry.

That is a wonderful method: all pieces labeled, and the label itself dated. Thanks, Sky!

I ordered two boxes of ornaments, not knowing if they'd ever be cast again once Sky runs out of the original casting. I laid them into the California Job Case with the two sizes (12 & 14 pt) of type. It would be awkward to store two boxes of ornaments separately from their designated typeface. I added labels so I can tell which ornaments are which.

As you can tell, I am a big fan of the "cordwood" type arrangement. It prevents delicate kerns from breaking, and the face itself from scratches caused by other sorts.

Since Arboret is a caps-only face, I laid the actual 12 and 24 point letters in the lower case sections of this California case. This leaves plenty of room for the ornaments to inhabit the upper case section.

Can't resist

A printers "hellbox" is where old type goes to die. Thrown into a convenient receptacle because it's worn or damaged, hellbox type finds new life only by being traded to the typefounder, who melts it down to make brand new type.

After the Wayzgoose in Phoenix, we traveled to Skyline Type Foundry in Prescott. I had a reasonably full hellbox to trade in-- but this pic shows the granddaddy hellbox of them all. It's from the International Printing Museum, where I volunteer once a month.

Even after the feeding frenzy of the Goose, and our new purchases at Sky's, could any of us resist pawing through it? Might there be good sorts? There were a few still-wrapped fonts in there!

Thanks to Tom Parsons for this shot.

More Typographic Excess

The Los Angeles Printers' Faire was last Saturday, and of course, having more guts than brains, I committed typographic excess again. I couldn't help myself. John Barrett of Letterpress Things brought treasure.

My first purchase in the morning was the wrapped font, below. It is, I believe, the 2nd most common font used on late Victorian calling (social) cards. I haven't identified either of the others, but they are below for your pleasure. Double click to see them in all their glory.

Somebody titled this, but it isn't correct! Johnson Foundry.

Now id'd as Text Ornate thanks to Steve Saxe.

 

I purchased the second and third at the end of the day, 

when I knew I had some cash left over! Purty swashes 

and ringlets in the second; which a friend just id'd as 

Renaissant (Dickinson Foundry, 1879!). And just look 

at the extravagant serifs on the third. Although it has 

a Berhnard Bros & Spindler pinmark, I could not 

find it in their 1907 catalog- the only one I have.

REAL Fonts

I mentioned committing typographic excess. Here's the (literal) proof! More literarily, here are the proofs:

 Concave

 Keynote

 Rustic

 Spread

Victoria Italic

All of the above are from Skyline Typefoundry in Arizona. Except for Keynote, all are 19th century designs. Sky has the matrices to cast these great old faces and many more. Needless to say I am a delighted customer.

Back to the shop!

After a lengthy drive to the Wayzgoose, committing typographic excess, I'm back to my little (typograhic) composing room. I laid away three fonts today, and a fourth yesterday. Perhaps some examples are in order.

Ransome Initials 

Missal Initials

 Pencraft Initials (BB&S), name courtesy of John Horn
from the Letpress Discussion List

These aren't the only ones: these were some used faces I purchased. I also have five brand-new fonts to put away. Typographic excess wasn't hyperbole!

Stay tuned!