This exuberant selection of typographic fonts and styles traces the modern evolution of the printed letter, reproducing pages from exquisitely designed catalogs showing type specimens in roman, italic, bold, semi-bold, narrow, and broad fonts. Also included are borders, ornaments, initial letters and decorations, and many spectacular examples of their use. Victorian fonts, spectacular in their complexity, are accorded a prominent place. In addition, examples from lithography and letters by inscription carvers and calligraphers are also included and described.

Featuring works by type designers William Caslon, Fritz Helmuth Ehmcke, Peter Behrens, Rudolf Koch, Eric Gill, Jan van Krimpen, Paul Renner, Jan Tschichold, A. M. Cassandre, Aldo Novarese, and Adrian Frutiger.

To accommodate the vast amount of material, we have divided the subject into two volumes. This, the first volume, covers pre–20th Century typeface specimens, with texts by editor Cees de Jong and collector Jan Tholenaar.

Includes exclusive access with TASCHEN keycard to online image library: over 1000 high-resolution scans of type specimens downloadable for unrestricted use.

Cees W. de Jong is a designer and publisher based in Laren, the Netherlands. He has published numerous books on design, architecture and art, and is now working as a design/publishing consultant and author. He has also published many books on graphic design.

Alston W. Purvis is professor of the visual arts division of the School of Arts at Boston University, USA. He is also the author on many books on graphic design.

Jan Tholenaar was a collector of the printed letter in all various incarnations through exquisite design catalogs and specimen books. He lived in Amsterdam where he deceased in 2009.