Culture

The Lumitype was the first phototypesetting system, introduced by Deberny & Peignot in the late 1950s. The technology was revolutionary in terms of impact on printing, by leveraging advanced technologies from automatic telephony, ultra-fast photography, and electronics to surpass traditional metal typesetting in quality and productivity. The catalog notably omits Charles Peignot’s role in the outbreak, reflecting the foundry’s shift away from his influence, about 15 years before the company’s closure.

The short-lived Typophane system had kickstarted a few original typefaces.

A typographic masterpiece comprising one hundred plates featuring typographic interpretations of quotes from renowned writers and typographers in sixteen languages. This work highlights Stempel’s typefaces and promotes a reconciliation between traditional and modern typography, culminating symbolically with a biblical text in Hebrew characters.

An illustrated brochure that aimed to embody Vox’s classification of typefaces, discussed at the Rencontres de Lure since 1953. This series of double-page spreads featured original commentaries by Vox alongside drawings symbolizing typeface families, with illustrations by artists of the time.

An ideal roster of late 1950s type foundries, and also their swan song before the 1970s crunch.

The publication showcases Deberny & Peignot’s typographic expertise and extensive typeface collection amidst the company’s transition to photocomposition in times of financial struggles, marking one of its last specimen releases before the foundry’s control shifted.

In 1961, Der Druckspiegel featured an article on the Atelier Adrian Frutiger, detailing his role as creative director at large at Deberny et Peignot, among numerous other branding and typographic tasks. The studio’s distinctive typographic style is centered around the exclusive use of the Univers typeface.

In 1952, a 24-years old Swiss typographer named Adrian Frutiger was comissionned to redesign typefaces for Lumitype, leading to the creation of the innovative Univers. The typeface was meant to surpass the declining Futura by offering a comprehensive and versatile typeface family. Between 1952 and 1956, Univers was developed into a series of twenty-one consistent variations, a quite unique feat and advancement in typography at the time. This secured its place in modern typographic design, promoted by eminent Swiss typographers for its adaptability and superior legibility.

This piece by Tschichold critically revisits and repudiates his earlier advocacy of the New Typography, advocating for a return to traditional design principles, influenced by the trauma of Nazism and his evolving perspective on modernist and Swiss styles.

This special issue featured contributions from mentors of Pierre Faucheux, including Jacques Haumont and Rober Bonfils, and highlighted a typographic interpretation by Willem Sandberg of Robert Desnos’ poem, La Fourmi.

A comprehensive exploration of the printed letter’s diverse uses and evolution, featuring a preface by Maximilien Vox and a compilation of documents by Jean Loisy, covering everything from romantic alphabets to then-contemporary typefaces.

Vox coined the term “Didone” to describe the family of typefaces from the Revolution era, combining the works of Bodoni and Didot, a classification later adopted by ATypI in 1962. Deberny et Peignot, influenced by this emerging classification and trends in the United States, notably through Alexey Brodovitch’s interest, launched a new cutting of the Bodoni typeface to align with contemporary graphic design advancements.

The Spécimen Général maintained many historical typefaces, while anticipating the groundbreaking release of Adrian Frutiger’s Univers in 1957. The Specimen showcases a renewed selection of types, retaining a diverse array of “foreign types” and presenting post-war innovations like Touraine, Jacno, and Contact alongside traditional Didot and early 20th-century antiques.

This attempt at a relaunch of Peignot was not as succesful as expected.

Deberny et Peignot’s last creation before World War II.

Established in Marseille in 1836 by François Olive, Fonderie Olive gained massive recognition for its typefaces in post-WWII France, and became, with Deberny et Peignot, the other leading French type foundry.

Despite being developed during the Nazi occupation of France in 1942, Vox’s creation of a “typographic standard” for the SNCF aimed at saving paper amidst wartime shortages. The standard endured post-war and was later valued for its clarity and efficiency.

The Nebiolo foundry released iconic typefaces such as Microgramma and Eurostile under the influence of Alessandro Butti and Aldo Novarese.

The careers of the Fournier brothers, Jean-Pierre (1706-1783) and Simon-Pierre (1712-1768), highlight 18th-century typography’s evolutions: Jean-Pierre managed the Le Bé foundry and upheld typographic traditions, while Simon-Pierre introduced new types, developed a universal type measurement system based on the typographic point, and contributed to the Encyclopédie, bridging historical referentialism and progress.

Rosart, a Belgian punchcutter and typefounder, established his own business in Brussels in 1759 after working with the Enschedé family in Haarlem. His Épreuve des caractères, published in the 1760s, showcases his influential ’réales’ typefaces, caractères de finance, musical typefaces, and initials, highlighting the diversification and persistence of Garamond styles in 18th-century typography.

Very few type specimens by Didot are known, as he reserved his new types for family editions and prestigious works.

After the Wars of Religion, Cardinal de Richelieu founded the Imprimerie Royale in 1640 to restore state authority in printing, while typographic innovation continued to flourish in Holland under the Elzevir family’s expertise.

The avant-garde alphabet reduced letters to their schematic forms, and served as a model for modernist typography although it lacked commercial success.

Peignot and Vox modernized their catalog offering by acquiring and rebranding Futura as “Europe” for Deberny & Peignot.

Again, Banjo was positioned as another companion to the succesful Europe/Futura. Its unique feature of two widths per letter was appreciated for adding playfulness.

Cassandre sought to reform typography by returning to the Roman alphabet's roots, leading to the creation of the Peignot typeface in 1937; although controversial for mixing upper and lower case, it became a significant part of the 1937 international exhibition's signage and materials.

Guérinet publishers captured the fading glory of “Modèles de lettres” from the Romantic period with their Art Déco-inspired collection. They aimed at serving a wide array of professionals with both modern and classic designs by lesser-known masters of ornament.

In May 1930, Arts et Métiers Graphiques announced the exclusive French edition of Hoffmanns Schriftatlas, an anthology of contemporary German typography, highlighting the evolution of letterforms, curated by Herbert Hoffmann with contributions from Albert Bruckner, Max Hertwig, and Rudolf Koch.

A.M. Cassandre’s Acier typeface, designed in the 1930s for modernist titling and sponsored by the Union of Modern Artists, was curiously underutilized in its own intended publication, favoring the Europe typeface instead.

A decade-long pursuit of a rational letter design method inspired by the likes of Geoffroy Tory and Leonardo, not without excessive complexity.

Born out of the merger of several independent foundries, the Fonderie published this type album amid global competition.

Charles Peignot’s rediscovery of Normandes types attracted the attention of designer Cassandre.

With only 270 copies printed, Georges Hugnet’s La Septième face du dé, published in 1936 with Marcel Duchamp’s assistance, remained somewhat obscure. Hugnet’s poems are paired with vignettes and photomontages; its cover, designed by Duchamp, uses a 1921 ready-made and an “alphabet lapidaire monstre” reimagined with Surrealist names, marking an interesting collaboration in the surrealist and typographic art world.

It seems that Alfred Tolmer's 1931 publication, by using the decorative elements of New Typography with contributions from top illustrators and photographers, became a seminal work in the world of luxury brand advertising and graphic design.

This specimen marked the culmination of the Deberny-Peignot merger, and reflected a reliance on pre-war typefaces, while hinting at a modernist shift more contemporary designs such as Bifur.

Although conceived in the pre-war years, the typeface only came to fruition in 1924, reflecting an older aesthetic, probably too late in contrast to the emerging modern artistic movements of the time.

Jan Tschichold aimed at redefining typography, by breaking away from historical constraints and embracing modernist design principles.

Met with mixed reception, Astrée and Naudin followed the Peignot and Deberny foundry merger. They contrasted with the typographical culture and curiosity of the time.

Despite intricate usage requirements, Jacno’s Scribe achieved widespread success.

Quick, also known as Trafton Script, and rebranded as Étoile for the French market, was a promising modern and elegant script. It ultimately failed to meet commercial expectations, prompting the development of a more functional script face.

This publication culminates Cassandre’s illustrious career in poster art. It is prefaced by avant-garde writer Blaise Cendrars, who praises Cassandre for uncovering the essence of contemporary life in advertising and for being a dynamic force in modern urban culture.

This catalog of woodtype faces highlights how important Europe/Futura was in interwar graphic design, just as how enduringly significant large woodtype were for poster printing.

A modern French Slab-serif typeface for titling and advertising, aligned with the success of the foundry’s previous hit, Europe/Futura.

Despite the modernist surge of the 1930s, Clichés et gravures reflected a continued taste for 19th-century typographic elements, offering an extensive range of initials, crests, and motifs, many of which were outdated, highlighting a nostalgic adherence to traditional imagery amidst evolving visual trends.

Charles Peignot and Maximilien Vox prioritized the creation of modern typefaces at Deberny et Peignot in the late 1920s. It lead to the introduction of typefaces such as ‘Europe’ (Futura) and ’Pharaon’, to align with contemporary advertising needs and trends. These publications aimed at actively promoting the foundry’s novelties.

In February 1930, when Gefesselter Blick was published, it featured leading graphic artists from Germany, Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, and the Netherlands, showcasing the “New Typography” and “typo-photo” principles.

Then-competing French foundries merged into Deberny et Peignot in 1923, creating a dominant force in French typography. Their publication of an album reflected this historic alliance.

“Film” became a fashionable choice for advertising and magazine titles. It remains Jacno’s only notable sans-serif typeface, and led to a sporadic yet long collaboration with the publishing foundry.

La Panchrestographie, published in 1604 and dedicated to the future King Louis XIII, was written by master calligrapher Jean de Beaugrand and features fifty-four copper-engraved plates by Pierre Firens, demonstrating a range of French and Italian scripts and offering references on the art of calligraphy.

In Italy’s first catalog of typefaces, Andrea Brogiotti, ‘prefect’ of Vatican typography, expresses gratitude to Cardinal Francesco Barberino, highlights his work on new and inherited typefaces, and showcases a rich repertoire of fonts including Roman, italic, cursive, Greek, Arabic, and Hebrew alphabets.

Henri II Estienne published the Thesaurus græcæ linguæ in 1572, advocated for the French language, and contributed to scholarship and typography despite financial and political challenges.

Grandville influenced the illustrated book boom of the 19th century with his works like Scènes de la vie privée et publique des animaux and the avant-garde Un Autre Monde.

Guillaume Le Bé I, apprenticed to Robert Estienne and later working with Claude Garamont, established his own foundry in 1552, acquiring many of Garamont's punches and dies, and became renowned for his Oriental typefaces, particularly Hebraic types used globally until the 18th century.

Martin-Dominique Fertel published La Science Pratique de l’Imprimerie in 1723, the first general treatise on typography, covering type composition, imposition, punctuation, and press operations, and featuring detailed illustrations and instructions on printing techniques.

Buffon published his extensive Histoire naturelle from 1749 to 1804, covering various subjects such as Earth, man, quadrupeds, birds, and minerals. The most prestigious edition, produced by the Imprimerie royale in 36 quarto volumes, is known for its exceptional typography and engraving, featuring the Romain du roi typeface and over 1000 illuminated plates in its luxury edition on birds.

Giovanni Battista Palatino published his illustrated treatise on calligraphy, focusing on the cancellaresca script and italics, in Rome in 1561, highlighting Renaissance lettering and dedicated to the Accademia dello Sdegno.

Chéret renewed the world of poster design in the late 19th century, mastering color lithography and introducing the vibrant, cheerful “Chérettes” that came to symbolize the Belle Époque.

Baskerville editions stood out for their luxury appeal, utilizing wove paper made with the Whatman process and sharper types inspired by Grandjean’s Romain du Roi. Baskerville’s exceptional printing quality, achieved with new inks, influenced later works by Didot and even contributed types used in the United States’ Declaration of Independence.

John Baskerville spent seven years perfecting his first book, an edition of Virgil, developing vellum paper with James Whatman, creating a special ink, and refining paper satinizing processes. Though underappreciated in Britain, his work impressed European figures like Bodoni and Voltaire; after his death, his widow sold his equipment to Beaumarchais, who used it to publish Voltaire's works and supplied several Parisian printers.

Christophe Plantin established the Golden Compass printing business in Antwerp in 1555, publishing a wide range of works and becoming a significant figure in the Catholic Counter-Reformation with his editions, among which the Polyglot Bible.

The 17th-century rise of Dutch typography, fueled by economic growth and global openness, was exemplified by the Elzevir family of printers in Leiden. Utilizing advancements in printing technology and typeface design, they produced highly legible small-format editions and influenced the development of ’Dutch types’ through the work of Christoffel van Dijck and his contemporaries.

Lyon printer Jean de Tournes began his career with Sébastien Gryphe and worked with many poets and translators. Influenced by Robert Estienne, he adopted similar Roman and Italic typefaces, illustrated his Bibles with vignettes by Bernard Salomon, and utilized the same woodcuts for other popular works.

In 1693, under Colbert’s Académie des Sciences, the Jaugeon commission began creating royal typefaces to satisfy Louis XIV’s desire for a distinct style for his reign. This led to the development of the ’Romain du Roi’ by Philippe Grandjean, which introduced a geometrically designed typeface that set the stage for future typographic innovations.

How poet and publisher Pierre Didot celebrated the art of printing and poetry through his Épître sur les progrès de l'Imprimerie and editions of renowned poets like Jacques Delille and the controversial Clotilde.

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.

Fournier published his influential Manuel typographique in two volumes (1764–1766), introducing the concept of ’typographic points’ and detailed the manufacture of printing types with comprehensive illustrations. The second volume features a catalog of types, including various sizes, styles, and ornaments, which, despite their rocaille aesthetic fading into oblivion, established principles that influenced future typographic systems.

The Encyclopédie, published between 1751 and 1772, reached a broad audience beyond the elite. Pierre-Simon Fournier authored the extensive ‘Printing Types’ article, showcasing his typographic expertise and advocating for the unification of typefounding and printing practices.

Pierre Didot, the eldest son of François-Ambroise Didot, published his first work, Épître sur les progrès de l'imprimerie, in 1784 at the age of twenty-two, establishing a succession of innovation in typography and printing. Despite controversies and disputes within the printing community, Pierre Didot’s contributions, alongside his brother Firmin’s typographic designs, marked a significant evolution in the practice, influencing the future of French printing.

About Grasset’s intricate designs for the emblematic sower, and his Nouveau Larousse illustré dictionnary covers, which revolutionized book promotion and typographic harmonization at the turn of the century.

In a response to the competition with the George Peignot foundry and their publishing of artists-designed typefaces, the Deberny foundry published “Giraldon”.

Why have the works of this famous 19th-century letter-painter, known for his innovative chromolithographic letter models, remained so elusive and yet influential?

Thibaudeau’s collaboration with the Peignot foundry rethought typographic design by blending Art Nouveau aesthetics with modern typographic principles, seeking to promote French design to international prominence?

The emerging film industry inspired artists to break from traditional norms and to incorporate elements of cinema advertising in their production.

In the early 20th century, Georges Peignot and Henri Parmentier’s creation of a Garamont typeface, influenced by modern printing requirements and Art Nouveau aesthetics, came to dominate French typography for decades.

Auriol’s Robur, is a first attempt at transitioning from Art Nouveau to a more modern typeface. The typeface remained appreciated through to the 1960s after the Deberny & Peignot merger.

This album of fifty plates, featuring ornate and fanciful letters, marked the end of the Romantic era in typography, and paved the way for the decorative forms that would inspire Art Nouveau.

The beginning of systematic road signage in Europe started with this series of fifteen road signs designed to warn drivers of obstacles.

The Belle Époque transformed urban visual landscapes and retail businesses through the evolution of signage, supported by artists and chromolithographic publications.

The Série nº18 is a wider, more contrasting typeface, with ornamental italics that evolved from its predecessor, Série Nº16.

Just as Art Nouveau was beginning to wane among emerging designers, these Documents décoratifs set out to encapsulate the essence of the movement.

The “first simultaneous book” is an interplay of fonts and abstract stencils, conceived by Blaise Cendrars and Sonia Delaunay.

It took 35 years for Gustave Peignot to transform the typographic blanks foundry he acquired into a leading type foundry, renowned for Art Nouveau typefaces.

Della Robbia combined an innovation in its production process, and a commercially interesting addition to Peignot foundry’s existing catalog.

While poster advertising evolved in France during the Second Empire, typographic innovations played a role in balancing cost and visual appeal, before the advent of chromolithography in the 1870s.

What happened to these British artists and their bold experiments with stylization and limited color palettes, who failed to find commercial success?

When Grasset revolutionized the art of illustration and design after settling in Paris in 1871, he blended influences from Japanese art and medieval styles into his diverse body of work.

Pierre Didot transforms a type specimen into a poetic masterpiece in his 1819 “Specimen des nouveaux caractères,” where typography meets original verse.

Mallarmé’s poem paved the way for a typographic revolution: by treating the page as a unified composition, the use of white space played a critical role akin to intervals in music.

This essential manual for printers symbolized the dominance of Didot typography in the 19th century.

Cappiello’s rejection of Art Nouveau enabled him to turn ad poster design around, in favor of simple, central humor and bold colors.

This publication introduced screenplay-style and film-inspired composition. It reflected the designers’ passion for cinema, announcing future collaborations and cinematic experiments.

Jean Jannon apprenticed with Robert III Estienne before becoming renowned for his finely cut founts, including the famous ‘Petite Sedanoise’, and supplying notable printing works like the Imprimerie Royale.

Bibliophiles initially disdained the innovative, beautifully illustrated Histoire des quatre fils Aymon by Eugène Grasset, despite its original use of the “gillotage” printing process and its then-novel influences from medieval art and Japanese prints.

The innovative Anglaise typeface was introduced in 1806, when Firmin Didot published his translation of Les Bucoliques de Virgile, dedicating it to his brother Pierre and later preserved by the Imprimerie nationale.

Giambattista Bodoni’s enduring influence: as the director of Parma’s ducal printing works, he designed elegant typefaces and published significant typographical works, culminating in the posthumous Manuale Tipografico (1818).

In his efforts to restore the Sacred Scriptures, Robert Estienne noticed university teachers altering the Decalogue to avoid addressing the issue of images. This prompted him to publish his Summa totius Sacrae Scripturæ with a corrected Decalogue from 1532, using pamphlets and placards to make the original text widely accessible despite opposition from the Paris Faculty of Theology.

The New Testament published by Robert Estienne in 1549, featuring Greek founts by Claude Garamont, marked a significant moment in both his career and the Reformation in France. Following the death of his protector François I in 1547, Estienne faced increased opposition from Sorbonne theologians, leading him to emigrate to Geneva in 1552 where he openly embraced Calvinism, with the pocket format of the work likely intended to protect it from persecution and destruction.

In 1545, Parisian bookseller Jean Barbé partnered with Claude Garamont to establish a bookshop and publishing business, with Barbé as the financial backer and Garamont providing the typefaces, notably his new italics. Despite early successes, Garamont faced financial difficulties and by 1550, he shifted focus to engraving and type-founding exclusively, lamenting the limited profits from his craft.

Robert Estienne’s most accomplished edition featured detailed comments on Hebrew reading, phonetics, and grammar, with application exercises including a retranslated Decalogue aimed at restoring the original Ten Commandments.

Aldus Manutius published one of his first italic works in 1501 with Martial, using type cut by Francesco Griffo; these italics, inspired by humanistic ‘Cancellaresca’ handwriting, were designed for small-format books to satisfy a growing European audience.

The Hebrew Bible printed by Robert Estienne in 1539, dedicated to King François I and edited by theologian François Vatable, featured engraved Hebrew alphabets and earned Estienne the title of Imprimeur royal for Hebrew and Latin letters.

Henri Estienne, disinherited for taking up printing, published over 120 works in 17 years, supporting reformist theologian Lefèvre d’Étaples by printing biblical commentaries that critiqued Sorbonne theologians, including the typographical masterpiece Quincuplex Psalterium, regarded as the 'First book of French Protestantism'.

In 1529, philosopher and ornamentalist Geofroy Tory, published ‘Champfleury,’ a manual on drawing Roman letters that linked their proportions to the human body, marking the first work to establish French spelling rules and influencing typographical reforms.

Throughout his life, Robert Estienne strived to publish the most authentic version of the Bible, mastering Hebrew and Greek and using exceptional typographic tools. His innovations influenced many reformed printers who, like him, fled to Switzerland or the Netherlands to escape the Inquisition; in Geneva, he further advanced his work, including finalizing the system for dividing sacred texts into verses.

Lyon-born Jacques Sabon became a pioneering typographer specializing in typefounding, working for the Egenolff foundry in Frankfurt from 1557 and completing Garamont’s unfinished alphabet for Christophe Plantin in 1565; after his death in 1580, his legacy continued through the Egenolff-Berner specimen and the later eponymous ‘Sabon’ typeface, published in the XXth century.

Published by Robert Estienne in 1544 with Greek characters by Claude Garamont, Eusebius’ Ecclesiastica Historiæ aimed to surpass all existing Greek typefaces, supported by a 1541 mandate from François I, which instructed payment to Garamont for his work.

Sébastien Gryphe, son of printer Michael Grief, settled in Lyon around 1522 and became one of the city's leading printers, renowned for his italic and small format publications; in 1541, he collaborated with Italian humanist Piero Vettori to publish Latin agronomists' treatises in the 'Libri de re rustica' series.

How Didot’s mass production of classic works helped shape the future of printing under the Consulate, Empire, and Restoration periods.

19th-century French printers and publishers turned to Renaissance-inspired types, sparking a revival led by Louis Perrin’s "Augustaux" and Pierre Jannet's “Bibliothèque Elzévirienne”.

What led to the rise and fall of the bookstore poster as a medium of expression in France from the 1830s through the Romantic period, transitioning from modest in-store advertisements to city wall displays?

Midolle’s fantastical alphabets, created between 1830 and 1850, influenced the Romantic era’s calligraphy and typography, and inspired later artists like Marcel Duchamp.

Why did Jules Didot the elder, after the Belgian revolution of 1830, relocate his printing press and foundry to Brussels, eventually publishing the notable 1842 specimen showcasing his rounded and “Caractères de fantaisie” emblematic of the Romantic period?

What were the “Canards” that captivated 19th-century France with their sensational stories and woodcut illustrations, making a unique blend of news, folklore, and popular culture?

Romanticism, in the 1820s, revolutionized publishing by integrating text and illustration, using techniques like lithography and new woodcut techniques, as exemplified by Léon Curmer’s richly illustrated works.

Firmin Didot’s typefaces had a 30-year gap between specimens, with the next one appearing in 1820 before he shifted his focus to politics.

From 1531, Robert Estienne published innovative dictionaries, including the first French-Latin lexicon, aiming to facilitate biblical text access and establish correct Latin and French usage; his work also popularized the use of roman and italic typefaces to distinguish languages, setting typographic standards.

Rouchon revolutionized the French poster industry in the mid-19th century, by applying wallpaper printing techniques to create large, polychrome posters. They adorned public spaces and popularized the use of bold typography and color contrasts.

Charles Nodier’s 1830 work merges text and image to captivate Romantic-era readers.

A comprehensive collection of Luce’s typographic creations, this copy with a famous provenance.

Document: Histoire de l'imprimerie en France au XVe et au XVIe siècle, t. 1, Paris, Imprimerie nationale, 1900, 567 p. Bibliothèque de l'école Estienne.