Ten Simple Rules for Researching Letterforms

Last fall James Edgar of Camberwell College of Arts in London asked me to contribute something to Whatever Next: a discourse on typography, a small book the college was publishing. The request was last minute so I recycled an essay, “Ten Simple Rules for Researching Letterforms,” I had written originally for Gunnlaugur SE Briem.

I am reprinting my essay yet again for all of those unaware of The Briem Report 2012 or Whatever Next. This is also an opportunity to rectify a drawback to Whatever Next. It was printed in one color, a dove gray, which dulled the three illustrations accompanying my text. Here they are included in full color along with additional images.

Ten Simple Rules for Researching Letterforms

1. Start with the Internet

Do a Google search for the letterforms you are looking for. Try a variety of keywords (style, period, creator, usage, etc.) separately and in combination. Avoid the word “type” since it means much more than typeface and will return too many hits. Don’t forget to search Google Images and Google Books as well as the Internet in general. And try Flickr and eBay. Once you have done these basic searches try more speciﬁc ones using institutional catalogues (e.g. The British Library, Columbia University and the Newberry Library) and databases (e.g. the New York Public Library’s Digital Gallery, Medieval Manuscripts in Dutch Collections, and the Codices Electronici Sangallenses). During your search keep track of sites that are useful in general even if they do not help you with your particular search. Bookmark them.

2. Go beyond the Internet

Remember that print is not dead. The Internet does not contain all recorded human knowledge—and won’t for a long time. Even online library catalogues often have as little as 70% of an institution’s holdings. Use libraries, librarians and old-fashioned catalogues to search for information. Go beyond books. Most material on letterforms is contained in magazines and journals. Many, though not all, are searchable electronically through specialized databases that the best libraries subscribe to. Archives and specialized collections are listed online (e.g. the Raymond DaBoll Papers and the James Hayes Papers at the Newberry Library) but not all have online ﬁnding aids. These are essential to discovering many examples of modern letterforms. Print versions of ﬁnding aids are available at libraries and other institutions (e.g. the Norman T.A. Munder Papers at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore). At libraries don’t forget microﬁlm. It is tedious, but it is often the only option for many printed sources from the past.

3. Go beyond texts

There is more to print research than books, journals, magazines and newspapers. Look at the physical objects themselves (book bindings, magazine covers, etc.) as well as advertisements in magazines and newspapers. And look at ephemera. Ephemera is often poorly identiﬁed in catalogues, whether print or online, since librarians and curators don’t always know what they are looking at.

4. Be thorough

Don’t be in a hurry. Look beyond the ﬁrst few pages of Google search hits as letterform items can often be buried—sometimes tens of pages down. Similarly, when doing print research go beyond the subject you are looking for to look at related items. For instance, if you are looking for calligraphy, look also for lettering; or if you are looking for type, look also for printing. This is because 1. librarians are inconsistent in how material is catalogued, and 2. material often ﬁts into one or more categories.

5. Be diligent

In looking for information about letterforms and their makers look not only at obvious sources such as articles in a periodical but also at items that are not included in tables of contents or in databases. Examples are regular columns about news, people and events; “ﬁllers” (the little articles, often untitled, that are used to ﬁll up pages); and advertisements. Don’t overlook the small stuff.

6. Be tireless

Don’t give up when a search, online or in libraries, seems to run into a dead end. Look for alternative sources—such as other libraries or collections (in museums, historical societies, etc.)—that may yield the same information but from a different line of attack. For intstance, look for information on the English calligrapher Edward Johnston in sources about transportation system signage or about the lettercutter Eric Gill.

7. Be skeptical

Don’t take everything you read during your research at face value. Get corroboration. Many people—including those in working in the lettering arts—embellish their achievements, edit their life (leaving out signiﬁcant items that they consider uninteresting or embarrassing), or just plain forget parts of their past. A common problem is lettering work reproduced without information about materials used, clients, or dates.

8. Not everything is type

Today, all letterforms are often indiscriminately called “type”—even items that predate the digital revolution. In doing research for letterforms it is important to know (and recognize) the difference between carved lettering, drawn lettering, signwriting, calligraphy, and type (whether metal, wood, ﬁlm or digital). Learn about techniques, tools and materials.

9. Context affects content

Letterforms do not exist in a vacuum. Pay attention to the designs they are a part of and to the places they appear (advertisements, magazines, etc.). And look at letterforms in relation to the time and place in which they were created.

10. The past is not the present

Remember that letterforms from the past need to be viewed from a different perspective than those from the present. Be careful of bringing current assumptions and biases to bear on the work of the past.

A Summary of Research Steps

1 look at bibliographies to discover potentially relevant sources. Then look in the bibliographies of those sources and so on. Repeat the process as long as necessary. Stand on the shoulders of others.

2 do an Internet keyword search. Remember to look not only for the name of the letter maker(s) or other topic, but for related or ancillary people and topics. Do not trust Google or other search engines to easily find you the most relevant websites. They search by popularity, and thus many good sites are buried tens or even hundreds of pages into a list. Also be aware that many seemingly useful websites are full of puffery, empty rhetoric and incorrect information. The best place to start with the Internet is with online library catalogues. When using catalogues remember to take advantage of the various searching options: subject, keyword, title, author, journal, etc.

3 look at indexes to periodicals to locate useful articles. Most letterform information resides in articles rather than books or websites. Ask librarians for assistance in identifying and using both printed and computer databases. Some databases may only be accessible from a registered library computer.

4 do an Internet image search using Google Images, Flickr, eBay and digital image collections on the websites of major international libraries and museums.

5 letterform ephemera (artwork, sketches, proofs, printed samples, etc.) is found in archives and special collections. They usually have ﬁnding aids, but not all are fully itemized; and many are not detailed online.

Design History Periodicals

[This is a list of periodicals which are of use to anyone researching not only calligraphy, lettering and type, but also printing and graphic design history in general. Those marked with an asterisk are out of print and have to be obtained through used bookdealers, eBay or a library; those marked with a double dagger are foreign. Some of the latter are in English.]

Abitare‡ / abitare.it

A-D [Art Director]* (1938–1942)

Advertising Age / adage.com

Advertising & Selling* (1926–1948)

Adweek / adweek.com

Affiche: Magazine for Cultural and Commercial Posters*‡

AIGA Journal of Graphic Design* (1982–2000?)

Alphabet*‡ (1964)

Alphabet & Image*‡ (1946–1948)

American Printer / americanprinter.com

Annual of Bookmaking* (1938)

The Ampersand (journal of the Paciﬁc Center for the Book Arts) / pcba.info

Archiv für Buchgewerbe und Gebrauchsgraphik*‡ (1920–1942)

Ars Typographica* (1918–1934)

Art Direction*

Baseline‡ / baselinemagazine.com

Baseline from Letraset*‡ (1979–1994)

Bibliologia‡

Blueprint‡ / blueprintmagazine.co.uk

Bookways* (1991–1995)

British Printer and Lithographer*‡ (1888–2000)

Campo Graﬁco*‡ (1935–1939)

Casabella‡

Codex: The Journal of Letterforms

The Colophon*

The Colophon: A Book Collectors’ Quarterly (1930–1935)

The Colophon: New Series (1935–1938)

The Colophon: New Graphic Series (1939-1940)

The New Colophon (1948–1950)

Communication Arts / commarts.com

Creative*‡

Creative Review‡

Critique: The Magazine of Graphic Thinking* (1996–2001)

DA (The Devil’s Artisan)‡ / briarpress.org”

Design*

Design Issues / mitpressjournals.org

Design Quarterly* (1946–1996)

Design Week‡ / designweek.co.uk

Direct Advertising [later DA]* (1913–1977)

The Dolphin: A Journal for the Making of Books* (1933–1941)

Domus‡ / domusweb.it

Dot Zero* (1966–1967)

Dot Dot Dot* (2000–2010) / dot-dot-dot.us

Der Druckspiegel*‡ (1949–1987?)

Emigre* (1984–2005) / emigre.com

Étapes Graphiques‡ / étapes.com

Eye‡ / eyemagazine.com and blog.eyemagazine.com

Fine Print: The Review for the Arts of the Book* (1975–1990)

The Fleuron: A Journal of Typography*‡ (1923–1930)

Gebrauchsgraphik*‡ (1924–1943; 1950–1971 )

The Graphic Arts* (1911–c.1924)

Graphic Design:A Quarterly Review for Graphic Design and Art Direction‡ (1959–1986)

Graphis* [originally Swiss but later American] (1944–2005) / graphis.com

Gutenberg Jahrbuch‡ / gutenberg-gesellschaft.de

ID [formerly Industrial Design 1954–1984; not to be confused with i-D magazine] / id-mag.com

Idea‡ / idea-mag.com

Image: A Quarterly of the Visual Arts* (1949–1952)

The Imprint*‡ (1913)

The Inland Printer* (1883–1958)

The International Studio* (1897–1931)

Journal of the American Institute of Graphic Arts* (1965–?)

Journal of Design History‡ / jdh.oxfordjournals.org

Journal of the Printing History Society‡ / printinghistoricalsociety.org.uk

Letter Arts Review [formerly Calligraphy Idea Exchange 1981–1987 and Calligraphy Review 1987–1994]

The Library‡ / oxfordjournals.org

Linea Grafica‡ / lineagrafica.progetto-ed.it

Linotype Bulletin* (1902–1926)

Linotype Magazine* (1924–1930)

Linotype News* (1922–1972?)

Linotype Matrix‡ / linotype.com

Matrix‡ / whittingtonpress.com

Motif: A Journal of the Visual Art*‡ (1958–1964, 1968)

Monotype Recorder*‡ (1902–1940; 1948–1970; 1979–1990)

Neue Graﬁk /New Graphic Design /Graphisme Actuel) *‡ (1958–1965)

New England Printer [the name is currently New England Printer & Publisher] / pine.org

Novum‡ / novumnet.de

Novum Gebrauchsgraphik*‡ (1972–1996)

Octavo [8vo]*‡ (1986–1992)

PAGA: Printing & Graphic Arts* (1953–1965)

Pages‡ / pagesmagazine.net

Pagina: International Review of Graphic Design‡ (1962–1965)

Penrose Annual*‡ (1895–1982)

Process Work Year Book 1895

Process Year Book 1896–1901

Penrose’s Pictorial Annual 1902–1914

Penrose’s Annual 1915–1916, 1920–1935

Penrose Annual 1936-1940, 1949–1971, 1975–1976

Penrose Graphic Arts International Annual 1972-1974

Penrose International Review of the Graphic Arts 1977–1982

Das Plakat*‡ (1910–1935)

PM [Production Manager]* (1934–1938)

Print [three versions]

Print* (1913–1914)

Print: A Quarterly Journal of the Graphic Arts (1940–1960)

Print: America’s Design Magazine (1961–present) / printmag.com

Printcraft* (1913-1914)

The Printer* (1974–1977)

The Printer: New Series

The Printing Art* (1903–1925)

Printing History (the journal of the American Printing History Association) / printinghistory.org

Progetto Graﬁco‡ / aiap.it/progettografico

PS (Journal of the Poster Society)*

Quarendo‡ / brill.nl/qua

Share Your Knowledge Review* (1920–1964)

Shelf‡

Shining Lines* (1936–1938)

Signature: A Quadremestrial of Typography and Graphic Arts*‡ (ﬁrst series 1935–1940; second series 1946–1954)

Signs of the Times / stmediagroup.com

Slanted‡

The Studio*‡ (1893–1964)

Tipograﬁca‡

TypoItalia‡

Trace: AIGA Journal of Graphic Design* (2001–2004)

Tupigraﬁca‡

Typographica*‡ (ﬁrst series 1949–1960; second series 1960–1964)

Typographisches Mitteilungen*‡ (1903–1933)

Typographisches Monatsblatter (TM)‡

Typography*‡ (1936–1939)

Typography Papers‡ / hyphenpress.co.uk [formerly reading.ac.uk/typography]

U&lc [Upper & lowercase]* (1974–1999)

Ulm: Quarterly bulletin of the Hochschule für Gestaltung‡ (1958–1968)

Visible Language [formerly Journal of Typographic Research] / mitpressjournals.org

Wendingen*‡ (1918–1931)