Culture
Words by Michel Wlassikoff
Spécimen des caractères de l’imprimerie du commerce by Evariste Mangin
In 1867, this specimen reflected the post-Romantic era's typographic eclecticism and the rise of advertising, with an extensive collection of eye-catching fanciful poster types.
In 1867, this specimen reflected the post-Romantic era's typographic eclecticism and the rise of advertising, with an extensive collection of eye-catching fanciful poster types.
The Spécimen des caractères de l’imprimerie du commerce, Evariste Mangin, à Nantes, was published in 1867. The romantic period is over, but typographic eclecticism continues, particularly in the field of display type. The Mangin printing house offers a few series of types of work, starting with ”new Elzévirian types” well in the spirit of the time. Moreover, the majority of the offer concerns fancy types, including a considerable series of poster characters, which constitute the majority of the presentation. The whole is emblematic of the rise of advertising at the end of the 19th century and its need for picturesque and eye-catching letters. The printer had no difficulty in obtaining supplies from the numerous foundries of the time which distributed this type of production, up to the famous Deberny foundry via the companies specialized in the letter for posters engraved on wood like Maison Bonnet, in Paris.
Document : Signes archives.
