Developed in cooperation with Typefoundry Amsterdam, see also Nobel.
The family spans nine styles; regular, mager (1928), fett (1929),
Kursiv mager (1930), licht (1931, inline, identical with Open
Nobel Kapitalen?), Kursiv, schmal (1932), schmalfett
(1935), schwer (1940). [Reichardt 2011] Other sources date the
first release to 1929 [Wetzig 1926–40]. Some weights have Greek
capitals and alternates for a number of letters, including a
splayed ‘M’, and, on request, a monocular ‘a’ and pointy forms for
‘vwMNVW’ (and splayed ‘M’) [Musterkartei
DIN 16507] [1932
specimen].
The
1929 and 1932
specimens were designed by Georg Trump. This led some sources to
erroneously credit the typeface design to Trump, too. [Gebrauchsgraphik
1929]
Plastica
and Umbra
were
advertised as shadow companions. Spelled
Berthold-Grotesque for markets abroad. [specimen] Also
available on the Intertype. Genzsch
& Heyse had it as Hamburger Grotesk, Fonderie
Olive in France as
Simplex [More…
Developed in cooperation with Typefoundry Amsterdam, see also Nobel. The family spans nine styles; regular, mager (1928), fett (1929), Kursiv mager (1930), licht (1931, inline, identical with Open Nobel Kapitalen?), Kursiv, schmal (1932), schmalfett (1935), schwer (1940). [Reichardt 2011] Other sources date the first release to 1929 [Wetzig 1926–40]. Some weights have Greek capitals and alternates for a number of letters, including a splayed ‘M’, and, on request, a monocular ‘a’ and pointy forms for ‘vwMNVW’ (and splayed ‘M’) [Musterkartei DIN 16507] [1932 specimen].
The 1929 and 1932 specimens were designed by Georg Trump. This led some sources to erroneously credit the typeface design to Trump, too. [Gebrauchsgraphik 1929]
Plastica and Umbra were advertised as shadow companions. Spelled Berthold-Grotesque for markets abroad. [specimen] Also available on the Intertype. Genzsch & Heyse had it as Hamburger Grotesk, Fonderie Olive in France as Simplex [Reichardt 2011].
Chartpak had a dry transfer version as Simplex Bold [1965 catalog].
