Together with Gemini Computer, Westminster
was the first typeface design to apply the idiosyncratic forms of
machine-readable magnetic ink numerals (see MICR) to letters. Initially drawn by Leo
Maggs in c. 1964 or 1965 at Hazell
Sun Group’s design studio for an article in About the
House, the magazine of The Friends of Covent Garden Opera
House. Maggs based his all-caps lettering on the numerals of the
E-13B MICR
typeface, and later completed the alphabet, “based […] on the
classic proportions of Gill Sans”. Rejected by Letraset, but
produced by Photoscript Ltd., including a lowercase. [S.
Mercer] Release date unknown; shown as early as 1968.
[Photoscript 1968] Depicted in Lettera
4 (1972) as Programm (with descending ‘J’ and
narrow ‘V’, unlike in More…
Together with Gemini Computer, Westminster was the first typeface design to apply the idiosyncratic forms of machine-readable magnetic ink numerals (see MICR) to letters. Initially drawn by Leo Maggs in c. 1964 or 1965 at Hazell Sun Group’s design studio for an article in About the House, the magazine of The Friends of Covent Garden Opera House. Maggs based his all-caps lettering on the numerals of the E-13B MICR typeface, and later completed the alphabet, “based […] on the classic proportions of Gill Sans”. Rejected by Letraset, but produced by Photoscript Ltd., including a lowercase. [S. Mercer] Release date unknown; shown as early as 1968. [Photoscript 1968] Depicted in Lettera 4 (1972) as Programm (with descending ‘J’ and narrow ‘V’, unlike in (digital) Westminster). A 1970 Fürst catalog shows a condensed copy named Braintrust.
Named by Robert Norton of Photoscript. According to Microsoft, Westminster was named “after the bank that helped Photoscript fund the font's production.”
Later passed on to Berthold. Appears in their E1 Fototypes catalog. In 1993, it was licensed to Microsoft and a digital version produced by Eraman, Ltd. and Type Solutions, Inc. was bundled with Windows 98.
