EndGrain » Daily Blocks

Modified Q

Bethany Heck — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 16:07:33 +0000

I don’t post nearly enough Q’s on End Grain. This guy used to be a part of the 514 die stamped font that Page first produced in 1887. But you can see where the top triangle flourish has been trimmed off, presumably so the letter would match another similar typeface. It’s still a lovely letterform. This style has a very nice combination of straight lines and hard angles with some nice curves lines. The tail is pretty substantial, often you’ll see wood type Q’s with tiny and tacked on tails.

Style: Number 514
Style first appeared: 1887
Size: 8 line
Manufacturer: Page
Manufacturing Method: Die Cut?
Is it part of a complete set? Not Quite

Grotesque R

Bethany Heck — Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:20:45 +0000

I love grotesque R’s! They are so heavy but always have great lines on the leg. This one slides out just a bit at the bottom, enough to give it visual interest but not distracting. You can see that the edges on this block have cleaned up easier than the rest of it.

Style: Grotesque
Style first appeared: Unknown
Size: 15 line
Manufacturer: Hamilton
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? Yes

Antique 6

Bethany Heck — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 19:22:51 +0000

Ah, what a great way to start the year! I love the numerals for this typeface. They are huge and meaty and delectable. I love the ball terminal at the end of the stroke, it gives the number a lot of personality. It’s almost like he’s rocking a pompadour.

Style: Antique
Style first appeared: 1828
Size: 25 line
Manufacturer: Unknown
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? Yes

Gothic P

Bethany Heck — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 18:10:12 +0000

I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas! This is a very handsome P, it’s nice and beefy and well balanced. The top of the letter seems to have a thicker stroke than the rest of it. The face has a little bit of staining with some nice round spots that make it very lovely.

Style: Gothic
Style first appeared: Unknown
Size: 15 line
Manufacturer: Hamilton
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? Yes

Inconspicuous O

Bethany Heck — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 16:11:20 +0000

The most unique thing about this particular block is how shallow the shoulder is. I’m not an expert, but I think there may be a possibility that this block was die-cut. You can see where the shoulder is peeling away from the face at the top, and I’m not seeing any obvious router markings.

Style: Gothic
Style first appeared: Unknown
Size: 15 line
Manufacturer: Unknown
Manufacturing Method: Possible die-cut?
Is it part of a complete set? No

Mmmm

Bethany Heck — Mon, 20 Dec 2010 15:44:33 +0000

It’s been ages since I posted some of my French Antique letters, so here’s a lovely couple of M’s. As is usually the case, the lowercase letter has seen much less use than it’s older brother. The lowercase letter has traces of red ink in its hairline counters. The lowercase form seems a bit more jolly and friendly than the uppercase M, which has a lot of sharp angles.

Style: French Antique
Style first appeared: 1869
Size: 15 line
Manufacturer: Hamilton
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? Yes

Stained N

Bethany Heck — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 17:19:56 +0000

Going to close off the week with this gorgeous Gothic N. The staining is so rich and lovely, and the clear and bright wood grain really pops out next to it. The negative areas house two really nice sets of tiered pantograph marks. I love big type like this because you can see how the rings stretch over the face so well.

Style: Condensed Gothic
Style first appeared: Unknown
Size: 40 line
Manufacturer: Unknown
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? Almost

Grecian V

Bethany Heck — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 16:27:31 +0000

I haven’t posted any letters from my beloved Grecian set for awhile, so I thought I’d post this slick V today. The left stroke is so thin that it gives the letter a dramatic presence. The contrast is very nice. I love how the stroke narrow in that the bottom, it’s a nice detail that gives the letter even more visual interest.

Style: Unknown Grecian
Style first appeared: 1846
Size: 28 line
Manufacturer: Unknown
Manufacturing Method: Hand Carved
Is it part of a complete set? Not yet!

Antique A

Bethany Heck — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 18:22:42 +0000

Back to back A’s this week, just because I love them so much! This guy is solid, meaty and wonderfully angular. I love the uneven stroke weight from one side of the letter to another. This guy has been cut into, as many A’s are, for kerning. The serifs on the bottom are so wide that the space between them is just a hairline, an interestingly delicate detail in what is a bold and in your face style.

Style: Antique
Style first appeared: 1828
Size: 25 line
Manufacturer: Unknown
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? Yes

A Damaged A

Bethany Heck — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 18:08:42 +0000

Isn’t this a sad sight? This came in a mixed lot with a bunch of large type, and this letterform would be quite large at full size… easily over 6 inches tall. On top of the top being lopped off, the letter had been cut into for kerning on the right side. The face is absolutely lovely, with flashes of the golden wood visible alongside specks of blue and red ink. A lot of great patterns and textures here.

Style: Gothic
Style first appeared: Unknown
Size: Unknown
Manufacturer: Unknown
Manufacturing Method: Pantograph
Is it part of a complete set? No