“French Elzevir or French Oldstyle was
derived from types popularized in France in the eighteenth to early
nineteenth centuries [Beaudoire,
1909], and again became popular in the late nineteenth and
early twentieth centuries, with several variations identified only
by a supplemental number. […] The have been made by a number of
[American] foundries […] French Oldstyle faces were
the inspiration for MacFarland and De
Vinne.” [McGrew 1993]
Among the earliest of these American revivals are Farmer’s Cadmus (before 1889), Dickinson’s French Elzevir
No. 1 [1890
ad], and Central’s French Old Style (all caps)
and French Old Style No. 2 (w/ lowercase) [1892
specimen]. Barnhart
Brothers & Spindler shows an all-caps French Old
Style and a related Elzevir
with lowercase and italics [1893
specimen]. By 1906 ATF had revised it as
Lining French Oldstyle No. 552. Monotype’s version was
No. 71. MS&J’s was French
Elzevir.
According to Loy, Gustave F. Schroeder cut the lowercase of
French Old Style for Central, and later cut an 18-point size of a
French Old Style No. 2 for Pacific
States. [MacMillan]
Photo-Lettering’s French Elzevir 2 is a
phototype adaptation apparently based on French Old Style No.
2 [PLINC 1950]. It was later listed as
Elzevir No.2 [More…
“French Elzevir or French Oldstyle was derived from types popularized in France in the eighteenth to early nineteenth centuries [Beaudoire, 1909], and again became popular in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with several variations identified only by a supplemental number. […] The have been made by a number of [American] foundries […] French Oldstyle faces were the inspiration for MacFarland and De Vinne.” [McGrew 1993]
Among the earliest of these American revivals are Farmer’s Cadmus (before 1889), Dickinson’s French Elzevir No. 1 [1890 ad], and Central’s French Old Style (all caps) and French Old Style No. 2 (w/ lowercase) [1892 specimen]. Barnhart Brothers & Spindler shows an all-caps French Old Style and a related Elzevir with lowercase and italics [1893 specimen]. By 1906 ATF had revised it as Lining French Oldstyle No. 552. Monotype’s version was No. 71. MS&J’s was French Elzevir.
According to Loy, Gustave F. Schroeder cut the lowercase of French Old Style for Central, and later cut an 18-point size of a French Old Style No. 2 for Pacific States. [MacMillan]
Photo-Lettering’s French Elzevir 2 is a phototype adaptation apparently based on French Old Style No. 2 [PLINC 1950]. It was later listed as Elzevir No.2 [PLINC 1965]. (For Linotype’s Elzevir No.2, see Schoeffer Oldstyle.) Castcraft showed the same or a similar typeface as French Elzevir No. 1 [Castcraft 1978].
