Item Info

Publication Year: 1568
Media Type: Books
Source: Rare Book Department
Notes:

French punch cutter Claude Garamond apprenticed under several masters; among those named in various sources include Antoine Augereau, Simon de Colines and Geoffroy Tory. Whatever his true training, his talent and reputation allowed him to set up a practice independent from any one printer, a first in his profession. Garamond’s type designs, while still classified as Old Style, moved further away from the characteristics of calligraphy and grew increasingly refined in stroke weight and serif treatment.

In the late 1520's French printer, Robert Estienne, commissioned Garamond to cut several type designs that have withstood the centuries as classics in the type world. Typographic scholars have debated the origin of Garamond's design, but there is general agreement now that Garamond was influenced by Francesco Griffo's design for Aldus Manutius's printing of De Aetna.

In 1541 Estienne reatined the services of Garamond for a greek font for the royal press, the face was named, the grecs du roi. It was based it upon the handwriting of Cretan scholar, Angelo Vergetio.

This text, printed in 1568 by Robert Estienne’s oldest son, Henri Estienne, displays a number of Garamond’s type designs.

Country: Country:Switzerland
City/Town/Township:Geneva

Call Number: RBD HBP 1568 SO66S
Creator Name: Henri Estienne - Printer/Publisher