JUN2013•NO. 32

It was a 'hot time' at the Phoenix Goose! PAGE 2

Morris Fuller Benton, Type Designer ­— Fact or Fiction? PAGE 10

APA JOURNAL is the unofficial publication of theAmalgamated Printers’ Association. Published as the spirit moves by Mike O’Connor. Articles and comments welcomed. 2 PHOENIX GOOSE Some traditions ignored; new efforts successful

A few might contend that the record- setting 108 degree temperature was the big news at the recent apa Wayzgoose held in Phoenix, June 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, 2013. They’d be wrong. Our “dry heat” brought some at- tention, but that was not even close to the “big news” from the Phoenix Goose itself. First the statistics: 42 apa members and 34 guests were in attendance along with five spouses. There were a total of 35 who attended the three workshops. The swap meet sold 18 tables with the two big- gest vendors there ( John Barrett and Mark Barbour) very happy with their sales. The Friday morning was the kick-off for the official Wayzgoose to begin and attendees heard five presen- tations. There were over 70 members and guests in attendance to hear the talks. auction, while considered “small” by some past events, earned the apa treasury $1,425. day events at a Wayzgoose usually involve a so many talented and interesting people in Also, 86 folks enjoyed the bbq Buffet at the tour at some printing-related plant and/or the apa membership that Phoenix organiz- banquet and about 60 attended the Sunday visits to members’ home shops/studios. ers thought it best to utilize some of these tour of Skyline . At Phoenix, those in attendance spent people. The Phoenix Goose program shook up the day listening to five excellent presenta- Friday morning the first presentation some traditions of the apa Wayzgoose. Fri- tions from our own apa members. We have was by Sky Shipley, titled “The mysteries of type alignment.” This was followed by a pre- in hospitality or listen to Dan’s talk. Nearly the Mount Pleasant/Printers’ Hall Goose 3 sentation, “Phantom of the archives,” given by 50 people heard the presentation. event and that was holding workshops. apa Archivist David Kent. After the noon These were held Wednesday and Thursday. lunch Jen Farrell led off the afternoon with The other major item that totally broke Again, workshops were given by our own her presentation, “Printing for profit with apa Wayzgoose tradition was that Goose talented members: Jim Horton gave a two- handset type.” Right after her presentation, organizers this year went out of their way day workshop on wood engraving; Jessica Kseniya Thomas gave her talk titled, “How to invite guests to attend (at a slightly high- Spring on daredevil printing and Ron Hyl- ladies put life back in letterpress.” Ending er registration fee). ton on learning the basics of the Heidelberg the afternoon presentation was the contro- Initially the reason for this effort was Windmill. versial talk given by Rick vonHoldt: “Morris to try and bring together those letterpress In promoting the workshops and the Fuller Benton, type designer—fact or fiction.” printers in the state, meet them and with Wayzgoose on the Internet through the (Rick’s talk is presented in this issue.) this initial effort, there would be a base of web site, organizers attracted some inter- And that wasn’t the end of interesting printers to have future meetings with letter- ested letterpress folks far from the borders talks on Friday. Dan Mayer of Arizona press folks in the state. of Arizona. The guest registrations grew State University gave Phoenix carried over another break and grew. Phoenix also welcomed students a talk on Adventures with tradition that occurred last year at from Arizona State University. in Polymer Plate The effort proved very Making. While successful. A number of many members send newbie’s to letterpress out to have their showed up plus a num- plates made, asu has ber of students came to done a lot of research the Goose. on pushing the limits To try to break the ice of photopolmer from at the Friday lectures, at low-tech to high-tech the start of the proceed- and processes their ASU’s Dan Mayer ings that day everyone plates in-house for artistic printing. Dan there (some 75 people) has over 30 years experience in letterpress was asked to introduce printing and the samples of the artwork themselves, where they he presented were fantastic! This was held were from, their occupa- during the hospitality period on Friday eve- Friday evening Dan Mayer a packed room listened to Dan Mayer tell tion and why they were ning so members and guests could partake about their experiments and research with polymer plates. continued on page 5 Phoenix Goose Workshops 4

Twenty registered for Jessica’s workshop on Daredevil Printing. They pretty well took over the facilities while engaging in their projects. Jim Horton conducted a two-day wood engraving workshop at the Goose. A testament to Jim’s skills as an engraver and a teacher, many of the first-time efforts by these students were fantastic!

Jim giving some individual help. Because of the large number of newbie’s in Jessica’s class, veterans were paired with Five students took Ron Hylton’s basic Heidelberg workshop. Here students Pe- newbie’s. Here Marjorie Wilser is paired ter Schaub and ASU student, Maria Talarera work on the press. (Ron is to the with Wilson Thomas. right.) involved in letterpress. 5 The introductions proved to be a gateway for conversations for the entire event. Mem- bers were easily mixing with guests and stu- dents and also newbie’s found a wealth of in- formation available to them. There was also interest from a number of people to join apa. This camaraderie between members and guests and long time printers and newbie’s Friday’s events were held at the 6,500 sq.ft. Letterpress Central. This was also the location for the work- permeated the entire weekend. shops that were held on Wednesday and Thursday. We can’t leave Friday’s events without giving the reason why Friday was such a from Michigan with tons of successful day at the Goose. wood engraving supplies; Dave That success can be explained in two Peat for his info, history and sam- words: Letterpress Central. Lc is a 6,500 sq. ples of electrotypes and how they ft. building and is owned by apa members relate to wood engraving; Jessica Cindy and Gary Iverson. The building was Spring who taught and inspired just a short one-mile drive from the Goose almost 20 daredevils (that is a lot hotel (a hotel van provided rides back and of students!) and Ron Hylton forth if needed). Letterpress Central is also who taught folks how to simulta- home to the Iverson’s Paper Studio, an in- neously print, perf and number house paper mill and online paper shop. on the windmill. Working with clients and artists on com- mercial printing projects is also a part of Tradition took hold again on Letterpress Central along with giving com- Saturday. That’s when the Wayz- munity classes on letterpress printing. goose holds the annual swap meet in the morning and the auc- Had it not been for Letterpress Central Auctioneers Dave Peat and Sky Shipley did a fine job of getting we couldn’t have put on the workshops. Fri- tion in the afternoon. All events maximum bids from the audience. day’s program was at lc which meant we on Saturday were held at the ho- tion is that at both events there was a “wrap didn’t have to rent a room at the hotel. But tel. and ship” table present. Those who came by many thanks also go to the instructors— One aspect of the swap meet and auc- plane could wrap their purchases in pack Jim Horton who drove over 1000 miles tion that might add to an additional tradi- them in usps Prior- 6 ity boxes and then they would be shipped out Monday. There were some 20 boxes mailed out This proved to be a highly successful service. Banquet attend- ees were treated to a bbq Buffet put on by the hotel. The food received high praise and Goose organizers Sky Shipley demonstrates his caster at the open found out later that the house Sunday in Prescott. gal who had been at- tending to all the needs at the hotel was back in the kitchen herself tast- ing everything before it went out. Top: Goose organizers: Jeryl Jones, The other treat at Mike O’Connor, Cindy and Gary Iverson. the banquet was the Left: We didn’t ask, but we think main speaker. The in- Mark Barbour enjoyed the BBQ Buf- teresting talk and slide fet at Saturday’s banquet. Right: Genevieve Kent (daughter of presentation was given by John Risseeuw, APA Archivist David Kent) shows off professor of art at Arizona State Univer- her printer’s hat which all attendees sity. His topic was “Seduced by ink and lead” Sky answers some questions posed by two stu- dents who attended the open house. received at the banquet. and covered more than 30 years of print- ing experience. John also brought a lot of with banquet attendees. samples of his work (all of which has been Talk about a break tradition again— purchased by the Library of Congress) and usually Goose attendees head home on kindly stayed to answer questions and talk Sunday; but not at Phoenix. Thanks to the generosity of Johanna and Sky Shipley all 7 were invited to their home and the Skyline type foundry in Prescott. The short two- hour drive gave folks a change of scenery at a higher elevationand an inside look at the by Cindy Iverson premier type foundry in Arizona. Attendees enjoyed watching the foundry We’ve all heard the saying “It Thanks to Jeryl Jones, who printed in operation and also spent time in Sky’s takes a village.” Well, I’m convinced the fabulous programs/maps as well well-organized and equipped print shop. that refers to hosting a Wayzgoose! as brought in all the AV equipment, I attended my first Wayzgoose two recycle/trash bins, coolers & tables as As with all such events, the weekend years ago in Michigan. Returning well as helping shop for lunch and went all too fast. Old friendships were re- to AZ flushed with letterpress hap- hospitality snacks. Thanks to my dad, newed, new friends were made and all had piness and excitement, I told Mike John who traveled from SC to at- a good time talking and participating in our O’Connor that we should host an tend the event as well as staff the APA Wayzgoose. While I think Mike registration check-in desk and be initially thought I was crazy, he the official “Goose Greeter.” Thanks warmed up to the idea. We were to Charlie Bauder who printed all excited that we would host the our lunch and dinner tickets—he event in 2014. Then we were pan- even won a raffle with one of those icked when in August of 2012 we tickets! Thanks to Dan Mayer for not found out we would host the 2013 only his lecture/demo but for help- APA Wayzgoose—a year earlier ing set up and take down tables and than planned due to the move of chairs. Thanks to Ernie and Marsha the Hamilton Wood Type Museum. Blitzer from Toledo—Marsha who But under the steady leadership helped set up lunch and Ernie, who and guidance of Mike O’Connor, we stuffed keepsake envelopes, set up were able to get things planned and chairs, ran the AV equipment and In the Shipley print shop, John Barrett gave a organized. But in order to actually handed out keepsakes. Thanks to demo on the C&P. It proved to be hugely popular make things happen, it took a vil- David McFarlane for the APA apron with students and newbie’s in attendance. Click the photo to see a video. lage and we want to thank those auction donations and the all the who helped. “Fall of the ATF” books. And finally, First, a huge thanks goes to thanks to Rick van Holt who identi- MORE PHOTOS. Go to THIS SITE Mike O’Connor for designing the fied all the mystery in our and see many more photos of the goose website, overseeing the reg- cabinets—what a BIG benefit to us Goose. Once at the site, click Library. istrations and hotel coordination. for hosting the goose! To add photos to the site, contact Cindy Iverson. 8

APA MEMBERS ATTENDING (42) Jeryl Jones, Matt Kelsey, David Kent, Arie Koelewyn, Bob Ma- gill, Scott Moore, Bob and Carole Mullen, Dick Niehaus, Dave Here are attendees in alphabetical order: Mel Arndt, Mark and Carey Oberheim, Mike O’Connor, Tom Parson, Dave Peat, Barbour, John Barrett, Charlie Bauder, Don Black, Ernie Blitzer, Lawrence Peterson, Peter Schaub, Sky Shipley, Ivan Snyder, Jes- Marijane Curry, Susan Deneef, Jennifer Farrell, Ivan Gulkov, sica Spring, Kseniya Thomas, Rick vonHoldt, Marjorie Wilser, John Horn, Jim Horton, Benjamin Hulsey, Ron Hylton, Cindy Karen Zimmermann and Gary Iverson, Ray Jerland, John and Nancy Jane Johnson, Phoenix Wayzgoose was for all in atten- into spring. But one spring project that is 9 dance. always enjoyable, is the weekend that Pat- From the positive and enjoyable sounds rick Leary, #630, and I get together to set of the Phoenix Goose reviews, I am getting up the membership directory in hot metal the feeling that we will be going back there type and get it ready to print. one of these days for a repeat performance. We have some new names showing up JIM DAGGS I will do my best to make that event, for sure. on some very nice bundle pieces. If you get a Needless to say, my summer-planned chance, drop them a line and welcome them letterpress and equipment projects remain into the APA. I’m sure they will appreciate Summertime musings at the starting gate and haven’t taken off hearing from you and finding out that we Glowing reports have been coming in yet. Sort of like some of my winter projects are a welcoming bunch of letterpress “nuts”. about how impressive and enjoyable the that remained undone after winter turned

possible at most Goose events unless press- events at the Wayzgoose where these folks es, typesetting, space etc. is available. can share their knowledge with those in at- The second thing which transpired was tendance? P to invite guests. I’m not going to go into the I am not suggesting that a Wayzgoose ied reasoning for this, as it was in the main sto- should devote a full day to this as we did in ry. But I might encourage future events to Phoenix. But why not have a couple of pre- Mike O'Connor, editor consider welcoming other letterpress print- sentations Friday morning or afternoon? ers in the area to come to the Wayzgoose This would still leave a half day for tours or event. It might be a tool to recruit a few what have you. Goosing it! new members and it will also help the lo- As was proven in Phoenix, apa mem- As you may have already read in the cal members sponsoring the Wayzgoose to bers still had a chance to talk to their fellow story about the Phoenix Goose, we strayed meet some other letterpress printers in the members but there was an added benefit from some set traditions in apa Wayzgoose area. Certainly guests should be welcomed in that they also met new letterpress folks! activities. We hope this may set in place to the swap meet and the auction. And what we found out that was even bet- maybe one or two new traditions in our an- The third thing we did was devote the ter, you tend to attract newbie’s and they re- naul event. entire day of Friday to presentations relat- ally appreciate meeting folks who are estab- One of the things we did—and this also ing to letterpress. It’s been no secret that apa lished in letterpress. A few changes like this took place last year—was to have work- membership contains a great deal of talent certainly helps promote letterpress. shops. We realize this is not going to be and knowledge. Why don’t we have more 10

Type Designer FACT OR FICTION? by Rick von Holdt

American Type Founders building, Jersey City, circa 1910. es credited to Benton in American Metal study the old patents you will find 11 This presentation was given at the Amalgamated Typefaces of the Twentieth Century. The a great many of them are in the name of the Printers’ Association Wayzgoose, Phoenix, June number varies with several different sourc- proprietor or manager of the foundry. You 7, 2013. es, but the reason he has been given credit have John G. Rogers’ name on Type as the “designer” is due to the fact that his Foundry patents and Andrew Little’s name name is listed as Designer on all of atf’s on patents for Farmer, Little. There are I t has been more than a minor irri- patent applications for those faces. more examples. I don’t think anyone would tation to me over the past few decades that a It has long been my contention that he seriously think that they actually designed lot of credit has been given to Morris Fuller was a brilliant engineer and organizer and the type. Benton as the designer of so many typefaces. headed the type design department at atf, Does it not seem incomprehensible that This is a relatively recent phenomenon as but I doubt if he ever actually took a pencil there is absolutely no record of M. F. Benton he received little, if any, praise as a typeface to paper and drew any of the typefaces that writing or talking about his inspiration or designer during his lifetime. It is probably he is given credit for. He had a whole de- design thoughts on any of the unique faces high time to try to set out the facts as they partment of designers, artists and engineers credited to him? There are also no existing exist and have a discussion as to just what under him and there were very methodi- sketchbooks or rough sketches belonging to amount of credit is actually due to him. cal procedures established at atf involving Benton. Think of American Text, Canter- I guess, for starters, I should define what groups and committees of atf employees bury, Chic, and Clearface Gothic, I would consider a type designer to be. In who actually worked together to come up Cromwell, Eagle Bold, Freehand, Greeting his era, I would consider the designer of with typeface designs. Since it apparently Monotone, Hobo, Parisian, Souvenir, etc. a new typeface to be the person that con- was always a team effort, it was atf’s policy There is also no record of him ever outright ceived of the new form/style and sat down to list M. F. Benton, the head of the depart- claiming to have drawn or designed a single and sketched his idea into visual form, with ment, as the designer. It is not an uncom- typeface by himself. And probably most probably a lot of trial and error and lots of mon business practice to give credit to the damning of all, he was never credited by his adjustments and alterations to get an al- department head over the “team”, and always peers or even recognized by them as a fel- phabet into a cohesive typeface pattern. Ba- over the individual. In fact, there was a long low “type designer.” The silence and lack of sically the person that created the unique tradition of doing this in the nineteenth recognition during his lifetime is deafening. artwork that distinguishes and defines the century by other typefoundries. Type de- What little that can be gleaned about the typeface. signers were often considered as “workers secretive internal workings of atf shows Morris Benton is now being lauded as for hire” rather than creative artists. The that typefaces were developed by teams “The forgotten Father of American Type designers did not get royalties so it prob- within the staff and that Benton’s main role Design” and the designer of the most metal ably did not matter much to the designer if was to give direction and oversee all of the typefaces ever! Mac McGrew lists 222 fac- their name was on the patent or not. If you work. No doubt he gave them great guid- ance. He was an engineer by training and of typefaces and was well suited to add his 20th century. Benton was not honored or 12 the work of organization came easily to him. input as to what sort of faces atf should feted even once! And keep in mind that this He developed formulas and algorithms for develop and promote. His personal favor- was in an era when typography and print the subtle optical adjustments used when ite typeface was Oldstyle, which were celebrated and honored by many orga- making matrices for enlarging and reducing is in reality simply a cleaned-up revival of a nizations and publications. This would be sizes of a face. He was also a great student 16th-century font by Nicholas Jenson. unpardonable if he truly were the creative It was almost an inside joke for genius and designer of so many commonly decades within the industry that used typefaces. Some claim that this is be- Benton was “the designer” of atf cause he was incredibly shy, but I cannot ac- typefaces. I have been trying for the cept that others would not have sought to past three decades to find anything laud and praise him in spite of this. that would confirm that M. F. Ben- Some marvel at the variety of styles he ton actually drew any designs and was able to conjure up and design. The have come up short. The study of group/committee approach to type design typefaces and their designers has goes a long way to explain the variety of been the subject of numerous styles that have been incorrectly credited books, pamphlets and articles to just one man. Another thing to consider for over a century. If Morris might be just how many design proposals Benton truly designed so many were submitted to atf from outside sourc- faces for atf, one would as- es and amateurs over the years. In Patricia sume that his name would lead Costs’ article in Printing History about the the field in this subject, but he Bentons and Typemaking at atf, she states is found missing in almost all that “Every year atf received hundreds of contemporary writing about proposed typefaces from enthusiastic let- typeface design. I’ll have a terers. The original drawings they provided list of examples further on. could seldom be used as working drawings Think of the hundreds of because independent designers rarely real- events, banquets, dinners, ized the complexities of the type manufac- etc. hosted by the aiga and turing process. Most designs had to be re- other prestigious printing drawn to conform to technical limitations organizations during the and particular word combinations.” One first four decades of the would wonder just how many actually were studied, considered and “redrawn” by atf. I partment at atf, and yet unbelievably M. F. ple have second thoughts about seeing M. F. 13 never could fathom that a face like Hobo Benton is given credit as “designer.” Check Benton as the greatest type designer of the originated within the rigid confines ofatf . out Bulfinch Oldstyle designed by William twentieth century: Atf was never above stealing or appro- Martin Johnson in 1903 or Roycroft (first James Mosely, Librarian of the St. Bride priating designs that they wanted to use. known as Buddy) based on the lettering Library (London) 1958-2000, founding They asked for permission style of Lewis Buddy and which atf claims member of the Printing Historical Society to use his Troy/Chaucer design and he that Benton “partly” designed. Engravers and first editor of its Journal had this to say told them to “Go to Hell” so they had John Shaded is an atf face that was experimen- on the Typophile chat site on December 5, F. Cummings cut Satanick (a heavier ver- tally modified by atf punch-cutter W.F. 2007: sion) based on drawings by atf’s Joseph W. Capitaine who used a unique and unusual From what I can gather about his mode Phinney. When Bauer would not let them shading technique (heavier at the top) to of work, I doubt if one could call M. F. Ben- have Bernhard Cursive they simply had create Lithograph Shaded. Once again ton a type designer. Did he ever lift a pencil, Willard Sniffin draw them a nearly identi- Benton is listed as the designer. Card Mer- seriously? There were dozens of keen and cal version and issued it as Liberty. Frederic cantile is credited to Benton, when in fact skilled young draftsmen to do drawings Goudy was not happy with his relation- only the two smallest sizes were redesigned for him. What he and his fellow directors ship with atf and withdrew his services, at atf to be more compatible with the larger at atf did was to dump most of the types but that did not stop atf from expanding sizes already existing from the Dickenson they had inherited and somehow bring into his Goudy Oldstyle and italic design into Type Foundry. There are other examples. being a range of reliable new faces that ap- Goudy Bold and italic, Goudy Catalogue Here are some more facts and observa- pealed to the customer base, and keep in- and italic, Goudy Extra Bold and italic, and tions to back up my contentions. They are novations coming, unfailingly and regularly. Goudy Title – all of which bear Goudy’s in no particular order, but should form a He was first and probably the greatest of name and none of which he gave any in- body of information to perhaps make peo- the 20th-century ‘type directors.’ put on. Packard was modeled directly from I can agree with James Mosely on that the lettering style that Oswald Cooper had point. I think that Benton was an Art Di- drawn for Packard advertising. Atf did not rector or Type Director long before the even consult Cooper about this and only term even existed. after-the-fact actually acknowledged this From a series of three articles about mfb and sent him a small stipend. in the Inland Printer: There are other instances where people March 1936 issue: “Morris Benton, Type had designed faces in which some charac- Designer – Executive” ters needed to be slightly adjusted for prac- In talking about what goes into design- tical foundry production by the design de- ing type: “Between the edicts of fashion and the by Morris Benton’s committee. The design goes on to talk about Cloister Old Style as 14 frantic attempts of advertisers to out-do program is under the control of his com- his favorite face and all of the admiration he competition, the style flux in types would mittee. has for it and research that he did on it. be entirely too fast for any type foundry to There is a second article simply titled This is very interesting, because six years keep up with – if there were not some ad- “Morris Benton” the following month in the earlier in the June 1930 issue of The Inland equate means of coping with it. There must April 1936 issue of the Inland Printer. Printer, lamented “One be system and organization to deal with this In talking about the design of Chelten- of my efforts in behalf of the industry for condition, or the large type foundry would ham: which I shall probably get no credit was the be in a helpless turmoil. Morris Benton has “Mr. Benton’s first ‘assignment’ – as he is introduction of the classical revivals: Gara- organized a system that is dealing very ef- pleased to call his part in the expanding of mond, , Cloister and , all of fectively with this puzzling situation Bertram Goodhue’s great type face – was which have been tremendous sellers and “The basis of this plan is a constant to steer the drawings through the mechani- have dominated and improved the com- study of the current type situation. This re- cal maze through which all drawings must mercial typography of the United States.” search work is directed by Mr. Benton. He pass before they materialize into actual type. There is more from Bullen later. is assisted by a type committee. At first, this The many details of this process are highly I have an article buried somewhere that committee was composed of three mem- involved, and in attending to them young tells about, as I recall, how disturbed Bullen bers, representing the various divisions of Benton had every opportunity to show his was that Benton was getting all the credit the business. But for several years now the skill as an executive and engineer. When for Cloister. It was Bullen’s contention that committee has been much larger. The com- the job of putting into the is was himself that championed the cre- mittee meets occasionally, but Mr. Benton works fell to Morris’ lot, he had been with ation of an atf face based on Jenson’s. and his assistant designers are on the job all only a few years. The third and maybe most telling article the time. Up to this time he had been engaged prin- titled “Morris Benton” appeared in the May “The committee system of design con- cipally in coordinating the heterogeneous 1936 issue of the Inland Printer. trol is used because it is felt that no one line taken over from the twenty-three type- In writing about designing new types: man, no matter how able he may be, or even founders, which composed the atf merg- “Morris Benton has a system for detect- one department, regardless of how efficient er. In this work the youthful Benton had ing these trends. The designing of type is it may be, is able to cope with the intricacies shown exceptional ability as an executive no longer a one-man job. Type today is of present-day type demand. To keep track and as an organizer. The chief type designer designed by a group. There is preliminary of this demand and to be able to appraise it of a large type foundry requires such quali- work, the numerous field contacts which accurately, the services of many persons are ties as much as he needs creative and artistic must be made to find out just what are the needed. The field to be surveyed is vast.” skill.” trends in the printing world, the analysis of All of this evidence is sifted and weighed Later in the article Benton eventually the data thus obtained, …All these make up the group’s work. The actual designing he will modestly sidestep with the remark great measure to their respective managers, 15 of the type is done by Mr. Benton, or is as- that ‘Lady Luck helped me a lot there.’” but Nelson is the active directing spirit of signed by him to some other designer. The Yeah, Lady Luck and whole staff of peo- the type department, which, of course, has designer still does the ple. He always sidestepped taking credit— several managers. Great in many ways, he is, creating, but he bases imagine that. above all, a type man, selecting the type fac- his designs on what The concept of type families has been es and following with critical care each de- the field analysis indi- credited to by sign as it progresses through the designing cates is wanted.” some writers. Here are excerpts from an department. No detail of design or manu- The article goes article in the July 1924 issue of the Inland facture escapes his scrutiny. He investigates on to say: “Well, one Printer. The article is titled “The effect every suggestion and complaint. Thus he might today still be a of the Composing Machines Upon the has made his typefoundry preeminent and type designer, possess- Typefounding Industry” and was writ- in doing so has revitalized American typog- ing such skill and artistry, but Mr. Benton ten by Henry Lewis Bullen, Head of the raphy. doubts if such a designer could produce a Typographic Library and Museum at atf “Prior to Nelson taking over, Joseph W. saleable type, except possibly by accident. and also the historian and publicist for atf. Phinney’s studies in type design, and his Because the successful designer, under cur- The article talks about the formation good judgment in selection, first gave the rent conditions, must have all of the pro- of atf and how it was solidified on firm American Type Founders Company its fessional requirements demanded of the ground when Robert W. Nelson assumed leadership in type fashions. The greatest of artist in this field. In addition, he must be the management of the company. Phinney’s successes was the introduction of an economist, a student of distribution, of Bullen writes: “Of the financial and the William Morris types and decorative merchandising trends, be well informed on administrational dif- advertising tendencies, and so on down the ficulties something list. The requirements are numerous and will be told, but at exacting.” this point the Nel- The writer of this series of three consec- son policy in type- utive articles in The Inland Printer was John making needs to be Allen Murphy and he starts the second arti- explained, for that cle by stating the mfb “seems one of the most policy was and is the difficult men to interview I have ever talked foundation of the to – and I have interviewed thousands in success of his com- my time. Try to pin some honor on him, or pany. Other depart- give him credit for some achievement, and ments are left in a designs. Phinney produced the first type 16 family – the Jenson family of related de- signs.” Bullen further writes: “Nelson’s first se- lection of a typeface was the now celebrated Cheltenham Old Style, designed by Good- hue. Though by no means a perfect type design, it was an advance in certain ways on the Jenson Old Style. The price asked for the design was for that time unusually high, and a majority of Nelson’s advisers were against its acceptance. It proved to be the best seller in the history of typefound- ing, and was developed by Morris Benton into an extensive family, some of the Ben- tonian members of which have outsold and buy families where once they bought series.” by Carl Purington Rollins. He briefly men- are outselling the parent design. The Nel- It appears from this article that Nelson tions Benton at atf as “a man responsible son policy is to enliven printing by issuing developed the type family concept and had for almost the whole type output of that a constant succession of good type designs a bigger influence on typeface selection at foundry for many years.” Rollins does not and expanding each into a family, when atf than Benton did!!! mention a single face credited to Benton, practicable.” Neil Macmillan, in his book “An A-Z of but further in the article says “It is unfor- And later Bullen adds: “This is the basic Type Designers” (2006) states that “Benton tunate that the names of the designers of idea in Nelson’s policy: to increase the de- has been credited with inventing the con- the types put out by the American Type mand for type by increasing the demand for cept of the type family and although this is Founders Company have not been pre- printing. Nelson moves his type families as not the case he did do his best work expand- served except in rare instances.” generals move their divisions, not haphaz- ing faces into families and adapting existing In “The Book” (1943) by Douglas C. Mc- ardly, but with deliberation. The design an- type styles for atf.” He also says that “Mor- Murtrie there is a chapter titled “Concern- nounced today was planned two or three ris Benton also worked closely with his con- ing Type Design.” The only mention of atf years before to support a further advance. temporary at atf, Henry Lewis Bullen, …” says: “The leading American typefoundry The type family as developed by Nelson In “Books & Printing” (1951) edited began, early in the twentieth century, un- makes for saving in time by securing har- by Paul Bennett there is a chapter about der the able technical direction of Morris monious effects automatically. Printers now American Type Designers and their works Benton, a number of revivals of notewor- thy typefaces of the past…” He then goes He made “reproductions, adaptations and (1970) Warren Chappel. No mention of 17 on extensively about and extensions” of the Bodoni and Bodoni mfb at all. also mentions Oswald Cooper, R. Hunter Book (1911-1912). Designed the italic of the “Heritage of the Graphic Arts,” a selec- Middleton, W. A. Dwiggins and Rudolph Cloister O.S. in 1914, …Cloister Bold in tion of lectures, (1972) Dr. Robert Leslie. Ruzicka and their contributions to typeface 1915, its italic in 1916. Made Goudy Bold in No mention of mfb. creation.” 1917 and its italic in 1921, an adaptation of “Twentieth Century Type Designers” In “The Shaping of Our Alphabet” O.S. in 1919 and 1920, its bold (1987) Sebastian Carter. Stories of 17 de- (1955) by Frank Denman, the only reference in 1923. He is now living in retirement in signers – no mfb. to Benton is contained in the sentence “For .” Other publications that do mention the general excellence of these atf revivals This seems to be an amazingly odd list Benton: we are indebted to the scholarship of Henry because there is no mention of the unique “The Heritage of the Printer” (1965) Dr. Lewis Bullen and the punch-cutting skill of typefaces that one now thinks of as having James Eckman – incorrectly credits mfb as Morris Benton.” He then goes on to devote been designed by Benton. developing the concept of a family of type- nearly a half page to Goudy as a type de- One can currently go to www.linotype. faces evolved from a single basic design. signer. com and find their web page for mfb. The “Rookledge’s International Directory of In “Letters of Credit” (1986) by Wal- main headline is “Font Designer – Morris Type Designers” (1994) Morris Fuller Ben- ter Tracy there are two references to Ben- Fuller Benton” but the ton is not mentioned as ton. The first is in reference to Garamond copy starts “Fonts: Ben- an individual as almost – “The American Type Founders Company ton developed over 200 everyone else is, but is issued a version in 1918, “designed” by Mor- alphabets, all of which tucked into the umbrella ris Benton and T. M. Clelland in collabora- were published at ATF,…” of atf tion.” And later…..”Cloister Old Style, a face I find this a very reticent “American Type Design which had been popular ever since Morris way to start a listing of & Designers” (2004) Da- Fuller Benton had supervised its creation at ATF faces. Developed and vid Consuegra. Late to the American Type Founders Company in 1913.” not designed or created???? game and simply rehash- In “Type for Books & Advertising Morris Fuller Benton ing assumptions that mfb “(1947) by Eugene M. Ettenberg, in Chap- is given zero mention or “is credited with being the ter 8 (Masters of Typography in the 20th recognition in the follow- most prolific type design- Century) the only specific mention of Ben- ing publications: er in American history, with over 260 type- ton’s output is “He developed the extensive “American Type Designers” (1956) P. K. faces to his credit, including some original Cheltenham type family from Goodhue’s Thomajan. Stories of 13 designers – no mfb. and some variants of already existing fonts, original 11-point Cheltenham O. S. face. A short “History of the Printed Word” an output twice as great as that of Frederic W. Goudy, who started to design late in his Bruce Rogers, , George n Rick welcomes comments. Send him 18 thirties. Benton’s designs are almost always Trenholm, Joseph Blumenthal, T. M. Cle- an email. a combined product of artistic inspiration land, and Bertram Goodhue I have never written an article or paper and organized, systematic research. There I should also note that there are actu- about this, but simply gathered informa- is also a diversity of style found in his work ally a few atf employees, other than Ben- tion here and there. I am not a scholar by that is uncommon among type designers” ton, that have been given credit for typeface any stretch of the imagination, but simply My guess is that David had no clue of the designs at atf while Benton was still there. consider myself a student of printing and design-by-committee concept that would They are: typography. Everything that I have gleaned have explained all of that. And note that Charles Herman Becker, atf for this discussion has come from my own the number of faces credited to Benton just and pattern maker. His faces were: Cloister library. Morris Fuller Benton was shy and keeps getting bigger and bigger. Cursive Handtooled, Goudy Handtooled retiring and his relationship with his father I believe that Benton’s strength was his & Italic,* Novel Gothic, Quick-Set Roman and his personal life don’t even come close organizational skill and his engineering ge- and Italic, and Quick-Set Bold. to being normal, but others have written nius for developing methods and systems Wadsworth Parker, head of atf speci- about that and I have only been interested for enlarging/reducing designs and expand- men department. His faces were: in finding out if he really was the pencil-to- ing them into families of re- and Italic, Gallia, Goudy paper typeface creator that people are now lated weights/widths/etc. Handtooled and Italic*, so readily willing to give him credit as being. “Greatest or most prolific Graybar Book, Lexington, I am obviously not neutral on this issue. type designer of the twen- Modernistic, Stymie Com- I personally give M. F. Benton little, if any, tieth century?” I simply just pressed, Stymie Inline credit as being a typeface designer. can’t swallow that. Title. (Both men worked It is difficult to try to piece all of this to- You might ask, just who on Goudy Handtooled gether a century after the fact, but if Morris were the commonly recog- and italic — again with no Fuller Benton received absolutely no recog- nized early twentieth-cen- Goudy at the panagraph consultation or input from nition from his peers as a legitimate type tury American type design- Frederic Goudy.) designer, there was probably a very good ers according to those knowledgeable about This is hopefully enough information to reason for that. I too used to believe that the subject? Here is a listing: get a discussion going as to whether or not M. F. Benton designed all the faces credit- Frederic Goudy, Will Bradley, Warren Morris Fuller Benton deserves to be cred- ed to him, simply because I was naïve and Chappel, William Dwiggins, C. H. Griffith, ited as the greatest typeface designer of the that was the information being offered. The Victor Hammer, , Oswald twentieth century. more I learn, the more skepticism I have. Cooper, , Richard Kaufmann, * Goudy gave neither gentlemen input to For those that think he did not get the rec- Robert Middleton, Robert Wiebking, work on his Goudy Handtooled. ognition he deserved, what is that based on?