CLA R N D E ON revival due to increased newspaper production has a

A Besley creates Clarendon and registers the font 1845

Robert Besley joined the

Fann Street Foundry N 1838 1842 Britain’s Ornamental N QDesign Act revival due to increased newspaper production Clarendon1920s has a 1953 Clarendon hits the modern world as people search for alternatives to Helvetica

1865 French Clarendon, “the Qcircus font” is created ROBERT BESLEY

Robert Besley, was born in London in 1794. He joined the Fann Street Foundry in 1838 and was an active type founder and punch cutter from 1840- 1860. He succeeded William Thorrowgood, who created the Grotesque . Besley created Clarendon, named after the Clarendon Press in Oxford,

WANTED in 1845 and registered the font under Britain’s Ornamental Designs’ Act of 1842. Clarendon is considered the first registered typeface. Protection expired in 3 years and by then Clarendon was so popular that competing foundries quickly copied it and created their own knock off versions. 1845 CLARENDON WHY CLARENDON?

Slab Serifs or Egyptian fonts, had completely taken over the mid 1800’s. Advertisers tried to make their ads stand out with the biggest, boldest, and loudest possible type.

Slab Serifs became more and more overwhelming to the point that they contrasted too starkly to be used with Roman forms.

A middle ground was needed. Enter, Clarendon! A happy medium was found. Clarendon was both eye catching and able to blend with Roman forms. c a rln doenA BOLD DISPLAY FACE a ◊ advertising ◊ announcements n ◊ display nABracketed Serifs Clarendon was the first typeface to have a related bold face. The first of it’s kind, bold weight increased Clarendon’s ability to highlight text without sacrificing readability or relying on italics.

Ball Terminals

WITH A SOFTER SIDE ◊ body text a MODERN USE

SONY Clarendon experienced a decline in the late 19th century, but a revival happened in the 20s when newspaper production was hugely increased. STARBUCKS In the 1950s people were looking for more organic alternatives to Helvetica and Clarendon experienced another resurgence which has carried down to our day.

YOSEMITE Until recently Clarendon was widely used on National a Parks signs. ABCDEFGHIJKLM NOPQRSTUVWXYZ abcdefghijklm nopqrstuvwxyz 1234567890 !@#$%^&*(){}<>?.,

STARBUCKS

YOSEMITE The most useful fonts that a printer can have in his office are the Clarendons. They make a striking word or line either in a hand bill or title page, and do not overwhelm the other lines. They have been made with great care, so that while “they are distinct and striking, they possess a very graceful outline, avoiding on one hand the clumsy inelegance of the Antique or Egyptian character, hitherto in use among printers, and on the other, the appearance of an ordinary Roman letter thickened by long use under the machine. ‘‘ - Printed in Fann Street Foundry’s 1873 Type Specimen Book &