Rochester Institute of Technology RIT Scholar Works Theses Thesis/Dissertation Collections 5-1-1997 Women typeface designers Laura Webber Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarworks.rit.edu/theses Recommended Citation Webber, Laura, "Women typeface designers" (1997). Thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology. Accessed from This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Thesis/Dissertation Collections at RIT Scholar Works. It has been accepted for inclusion in Theses by an authorized administrator of RIT Scholar Works. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Women Typeface Designers by Laura G.C. Webber A thesis project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree ofMaster of Science in the School of Printing Management and Sciences in the College ofImaging Arts and Sciences of the Rochester Institute ofTechnology May, 1997 Thesis Advisor: Professor Archibald D. Provan School ofPrinting Management and Sciences Rochester Institute ofTechnology Rochester, New York Certificate ofApproval Master's Thesis This is to certify that the Master's Thesis of Laura G.C. Webber With a major in Graphic Arts Publishing has been approved by the Thesis Committee as satisfactory for the thesis requirement for the Master ofScience degree at the convocation of May, 1997 Thesis Committee: Archibald Provan Thesis Advisor Marie Freckleton Graduate Program Coordinator Director or Designate Women Typeface Designers I, Laura G.C. Webber, hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library ofR.I.T to produce my thesis in whole or part. Any reproduction will not be for commercial use or profit. May 21, 1997 To my family and Steve, who selflessly give their support and encouragement. Acknowledgments Fred Brady Cherie Cone Bill Davis Marie Freckleton Glenda de Guzman Allan Haley Helgajdrgensen Patty King Zuzanna Licko Jill Pichotta Janice Prescott Fishman David Pankow Archie Provan Tom Rickner Ilene Strizver Judith Sutcliffe Carol Twombly Gudrun Zapf von Hesse Table ofContents List ofFigures vii Abstract ix Chapter 1 Introduction 1 Chapter 2 Theoretical Basis of the Study 2 Chapter 3 A Review of Literature in the Field 3 Chapter 4 Statement of the Problem 6 Chapter 5 Methodology 7 Chapter 6 The Results 11 Chapter 7 Summary and Conclusions 11 Recommendations for Further Research 12 V Appendices Appendix A: Preface 13 Appendix B: Biographies 18 Appendix C: Typeface Samples 40 Appendix D: Index ofWomen Typeface Designers 66 Appendix E: Index ofTypefaces 70 Appendix F: Index 77 Appendix G: Works Cited 88 Appendix H: Sample Spread Layout ofFuture Publication 92 Bibliography 94 Vita 100 List ofFigures Figure 1: Sample Cover Letter 8 Figure 2: Sample Questionnaire 9 Figure 3: Responses to biographical, educational and professional questions on the eight questionnaires returned to the author 10 Figure 4: The Presence ofWomen Typeface Designers 11 "Typical" Figure 5: The Woman Typeface Designer 11 Figure 6: Sample Spread Layout ofFuture Publication 94 Abstract Nowhere is there a single, exclusive publication containing biographies, type specimens, and photographs of the many women typeface designers. From source to source, one will usually find the same names of male typeface designers repeated. However, one must refer to many sources to compile a list ofwomen typeface designers. In an age ofrapid access to all sorts ofreference information, it seems silly that one must be forced to search many sources and possibly never find all they are looking for. This thesis project provides a single reference source ofwomen typeface designers and samples of their typefaces as of December, 1996. This thesis project involved the compilation ofbiographical information ofwomen typeface designers who, by definition, have created individual letters, numerals, punctuation photo- marks, and/or other symbols produced by machine which are arranged by hand, mechanically, or electronically. In addition, samples of the typefaces were also compiled. Upon completion of this thesis project, the degree candidate will pursue having the research published in a book. An initial search for names, typefaces, addresses and phone numbers of these designers began with phone calls to people in the field, including the designers themselves. Questionnaires asking biographical, professional and observational questions were mailed to twenty-four of the forty-one designers from January, 1995 to May, 1996. Eight questionnaires were completed and returned. Information on the remaining designers was found in previously published sources. Typeface samples were gathered through the designers, typeface distributors, or published books on type. Biographical questions asked name, date ofbirth, country of origin and education. Professional questions asked for information regarding typefaces designed, career moves, colleagues and awards. The observational questions asked the designer to describe the conditions in the work place acquiring a job, the sense of equality. The span of ages provided for a variety ofworkplace experience; the younger designers had not felt much discrimination, while the older designers had experienced feelings of inequality with their male colleagues at one time or another. Research on the remaining 32 designers was performed using many books and the Internet.The majority of the women typeface designers in this thesis project hail from the United States, with the rest from Europe. Most attended college in design-related majors. Those in the industry longer are the award-winners of the group. The result of this research is intended to take the form of a book manuscript. Appendices A through F are the Preface, Biographies, Typeface Samples, Index, Typeface Index and Works Cited. Appendix H illustrates an envisioned layout of the book. Chapter 1 Introduction Nowhere is there a single, exclusive publication containing biographies, type specimens, and photographs of the many women typeface designers. From source to source, one will usually find the same names of male typeface designers repeated. However, one must refer to many sources to compile a list of women typeface designers. In an age of rapid access to all sorts of reference information, it seems silly that one must be forced to search many sources and possibly never find all they are looking for. This thesis project provides a single reference source ofwomen typeface designers and samples of their typefaces as of December, 1996. Biographical information as well as typeface samples are given. While male typeface designers have been and are still extensively recognized, there are women typeface designers of the same caliber who do not receive the same recognition. Through the opinions ofwomen in the profession, this thesis project, in part, investigated the conditions of hiring and the recognition ofwomen in the field of typeface design. While studying typefaces and their designers in school, I realized that the overwhelm ing majority of designers presented to students are men. As a female student, I look to women already employed in my field of study as a resource and compliment to my education. As a result of the lack of readily available information, this thesis project serves as a complete, single reference source for anyone interested in typeface designers. Chapter 2 Theoretical Basis ofthe Study Women typeface designers are represented in several sources. Some of the most common names seen are Cynthia Hollandsworth, Kris Holmes, Zuzanna Licko, Carol Twombly and Gudrun Zapfvon Hesse. Even fewer women typeface designers are taught in school, as time must be made for the stories of Baskerville, Bodoni and the like. While the history of the men typeface designers is crucial to the understanding of the history of type, some students must have examples of people in the field that they can relate to whether it's by gender, race, shared interests or economical background in order to completely involve themselves in the subject matter. In an initial attempt to locate information on women typeface designers, I looked at the indices of a great number ofbooks related to printing and typography. Forty of the books contained biographical information on typeface designers, and only 14 of those books contained biographical information on women. While it took a lot of time to locate the designers, it took more time to read the entries in all the books, as no one book discussed the majority of these women typeface designers. Through the use of published pieces and mailed interviews, this thesis project addresses the need of a single reference source to compliment the education and interests of type design. Chapter 3 A Review of Literature in the Field The following sources are grouped according to the information they contain, followed by a brief summary of that information. One will note that there are pieces of information scattered everywhere, but not one source which discusses the majority of the women designers and their typefaces. Typeface specimens and biographical information on one or more women typeface designers Design." "Alphabet Calligraphy Review. Spring 1993, 6768. This article discusses type designed by Gudrun Zapfvon Hesse. American Institute of Graphic Arts. American Type Designers and Their Type Faces on Exhibit. 1948. The only women typeface designer in this exhibition, Elizabeth Colwell and the names of her two ATF faces are listed along with very briefbiographical information. Eason, Ron. Rookledge's InternationalHandbook ofType Designers:A Biographical