Download - Type Specimen Catalogue
s p e c i m e n o f
o r n a m e n t s
c a t a l o g u e o f p r i n t i n g s u p p l i e s
191 2( M o d i f i e d 2 01 2 )
a m e r i c a n t y p e f o u n d e r s c o m p a n y
e v e r y t h i n g f o r t h e p r i n t e r
The images are sourced from the 1912 Specimen of Type,Borders and Ornaments
Brass Rules and Electrotypes by The American Type Founders Company.
A Catalogue record of the original document is available from www.archive.org
This book was created by Anoosha Tadghighi
Clip art began in the late eighteenth century. Formerly known as Ornaments, they were originally produced as metal engravings. Designers and woodcutters
would hand draw illustrations which would then be transformed into metal patterns using “ingenious mechanical
devices” to fill the needs of publishing houses.1 Images which were created would depict common occurances of
the early 1900s in keeping with the subjects headlining newspapers and
therefore increasing their usage. Enabling Type Foundries to create such
complex and accurate metal cuttings were apparatus such as Matrix Cutting
Machines. These machines became
e v o l u t i o n o f c l i p a r t
1 American Type Foundry,1912, p. vi.
an imperative device for printers of the early twentieth century. The
process would consist of an accurate line drawing being transformed into
a metal pattern which could then be cut as a solid metal template.
Progressively these images obtained more detail and were available from type foundries in speciment sheets.
Over the years, technology has enabled us to create clip art which suit our
everyday lifestyles. We are able to find a stock photograph which incorporates
every subject which relates to our twenty-first century lifestyles. The craft of
hand made engravings has dramatically decreased as we have become
c o n t .
technologically advanced. Now that clip art can be easily produced on computers,
the subtle beauty once found in early twentieth century “clip art” has been replaced with generic vector graphics.
These cards have been made to celebrate the original ornaments created by the American Type Foundry, in particular
the specimen sheets of 1912. The images used within this book are the original ornaments found in the 1912 specimen book. A selection of
15 subjects have been chosen because of their distinctive relativity to the lifestyle of the early 20th century.
A price list is available at the end of the books; they have been converted
c o n t .
c o n t .
from the prices used in New York when the original specimen was published.
Currently clip art is purchased in bulk, on a CD or online, and cost
much less than the ornaments created by printing companies such as the
American Type Foundry. The modern day equivalent of one dollar in 1912 would now cost around 25 dollars. These images were more expensive because of the artistic process and
detail involved in making them.These prices have been created
to represent current rates.
To mark 100 years since the creation of the 1912 Specimen of Type sheet, some of these ornaments have been
tampered with, representing the contrast of twenty-first century lifestyles...
s p e c i m e n o f
o r n a m e n t s
“This distinctive series of ornaments is adapted to every size of page to all classes of large and small forms of advertising. Many pleasing and attractive
designs can be made.”
-American Type Foundry pg.992
i n d e x
TerminologyAmerican IndiansAthletesBallet DancersCast Index cutsChildrenCoppersDomesticsDruggist
GolfersHello CutsKlondikersLady SpeakersRigs and TrapsScorchersShoppersPrice ListBibliography
......................1...............2
..............................3....................4
..................5.............................6
..............................7..........................8
.............................9
.............................10........................11........................12
...................13.................14
..........................15
..........................16........................18-21
.....................22
1
t e r m i n o l o g yA pp r o p r i a t e m o d e r n t r a n s l a t i o n s .
American IndiansCast Index cuts
CoppersDomesticsDruggistsKlondikers
Rigs and TrapsScorchers
Native AmericansHand signals
PolicemenHousemaidsPharmacistsStakeholders
Horse and CarriageThrill Seekers
19 12 2012
22
a m e r i c a n i n d i a n s
No.1 No .2 No .3
No .4 No .5 No .6
No .7 No .8 No .9
33
a t h l e t e s
No .10 No .11 No .12
No .13No .14
No .15 No .16 No .17
44
b a l l e t d a n c e r s
No .18 No .19 No .20
No .21
No .22No .23
No .24No .25
55
c a s t i n d e x c u t s
No.26 No .27
No .28 No .29
30ptNo .30
30ptNo .31
No .32
66
c h i l d r e n
No.33 No .34 No .35
No .36 No .37
No .38 No .39 No .40
fon t con t a in s one o f e a ch cha r a c t e r
77
c o p p e r s
No.41 No .42 No .4 4
No .45 No .46 No .47
No .48 No .49
88
d o m e s t i c s
No.50 No .51 No .52
No .53No .54 No .55
No .56
No .57
99
d ru g g i s t
No.58 No .59 No .60
No .61 No .62 No .63
No .6 4 No .65 No .66
1010
g o l f e r s
No.67 No .68 No .69
No .70 No .71 No .72
No .73 No .74 No .75
1111
h e l l o c u t s
116 p tNo . 76
116ptNo .77
140 p tNo .78
36 p tNo . 79
33 p tNo .80
36 p tNo . 81
33 p tNo .82
1212
k l o n d i k e r s
No.83 No .8 4 No .85
No .86
No .87
No .88No .89
All cuts on this page are cast on Adobe Photoshop and are easily justified.
1313
l a d y s p e a k e r s
No.90No .91 No .92
No .93
No .94 No .95
No .96 No .97
No .98
1414
r i g s a n d t r a p s
No.99 No .100
No .102 No .103
No .10 4No .105
No .106 No .107
1515
No.108 No .109 No .110
No .111
No .112 No .113
No .114 No .115 No .116
s c o r c h e r s
1616
s h o p p e r s
No.117 No .118 No .119
No .120 No .121 No .122
No .123 No .124 No .125
1818
p r i c e l i s t
1919
no.123456789
1011121314151617181920212223242526
page.11111111122222222333333334
price.0.120.120.120.150.150.400.500.200.120.120.120.120.120.120.200.120.120.120.120.120.120.300.120.120.300.12
page.44444455555555666666666777
price.0.150.150.100.150.200.100.300.120.120.300.120.120.120.200.150.120.120.120.120.120.100.120.300.120.120.12
p r i c e l i s t
no.2728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505153
2020
p r i c e l i s t
no.5455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576777879
page.7777888888888999999999
10101010
price.0.150.400.400.120.200.120.120.120.120.100.120.120.200.120.120.120.120.120.300.120.100.300.300.300.300.10
page.1010101111111111111112121212121212121213131313131313
price.0.100.100.100.200.120.120.100.120.120.120.120.100.120.120.120.120.150.150.150.150.300.150.150.150.150.15
no.8081828384858687888990919293949596979899
100101102103104105
2121
p r i c e l i s t
no.106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125
page.1313141414141414141414151515151515151515
price.0.150.150.300.200.150.150.120.120.120.200.120.250.120.200.120.200.100.200.120.12
2222
b i b l i o g r a p h y
American Type Founders Company: Specimen of Type,Borders and Ornaments Brass Rules and Electrotypes, 1912, Jersey City.
American Type Founders Company: Specimen of Type,Borders and Ornaments Brass Rules and
Electrotypes, 1912, Jersey City.pg.992b
American Specimen Type Of Book Styles; http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7160961M/American_specimen_
book_of_type_styles, Last modified September 2011.
American Type Founders Company: American Specimen Book Of Type Styles; Supplement, 1917, Jersey City