Spartan was Mergenthaler Linotype and ATF’s
knockoff of Paul Renner’s extremely popular Futura (Bauer, 1927).
“Linotype announced Sanserif 52 and
Italic early in 1939; later in the same year these
typefaces were offered as Spartan Black, along with
light, medium, and heavy weights, all with italics. In 1941 ATF cut
some of these typefaces; by arrangement with Mergenthaler the small
sizes were cut to match. ¶ Over the following dozen years or more,
additional weights and widths were drawn by Bud Renshaw and Gerry
Powell for ATF, and by Linotype staff designers. Renshaw's
Spartan Medium Condensed, drawn in 1953, is wider than
the corresponding typefaces in other families. In 1955 Linotype
announced Spartan Bold, ‘the latest member of the
Spartan family; slightly larger on the body than Spartan
Heavy and more compactly fitted.’ Spartan Extra
Black is heavier than the comparable typefaces from other
sources. ATF made supplementary Advertising Figures, Decimal
Figures, and Fractions for several weights of Spartan.
¶ Spartan Circuit and Spartan Circuit
Heavy are 1964 adaptations of the design by Linotype for
Teletypesetter use, requiring modification of character widths.”
[McGrew 1993]
Renshaw is credited for the Medium Italic and Heavy Italic
[Reichardt/Hoefer], and for the Book and
Medium Condensed styles. [ATF catalog, ca. 1966].
Spartan offered some things Futura did
not: such as a double-story alternate ‘a’ and Linotype’s unique
Classified cuts (released later) for very small
type. It also
differs from More…
Spartan was Mergenthaler Linotype and ATF’s knockoff of Paul Renner’s extremely popular Futura (Bauer, 1927).
“Linotype announced Sanserif 52 and Italic early in 1939; later in the same year these typefaces were offered as Spartan Black, along with light, medium, and heavy weights, all with italics. In 1941 ATF cut some of these typefaces; by arrangement with Mergenthaler the small sizes were cut to match. ¶ Over the following dozen years or more, additional weights and widths were drawn by Bud Renshaw and Gerry Powell for ATF, and by Linotype staff designers. Renshaw's Spartan Medium Condensed, drawn in 1953, is wider than the corresponding typefaces in other families. In 1955 Linotype announced Spartan Bold, ‘the latest member of the Spartan family; slightly larger on the body than Spartan Heavy and more compactly fitted.’ Spartan Extra Black is heavier than the comparable typefaces from other sources. ATF made supplementary Advertising Figures, Decimal Figures, and Fractions for several weights of Spartan. ¶ Spartan Circuit and Spartan Circuit Heavy are 1964 adaptations of the design by Linotype for Teletypesetter use, requiring modification of character widths.” [McGrew 1993]
Renshaw is credited for the Medium Italic and Heavy Italic [Reichardt/Hoefer], and for the Book and Medium Condensed styles. [ATF catalog, ca. 1966].
Spartan offered some things Futura did not: such as a double-story alternate ‘a’ and Linotype’s unique Classified cuts (released later) for very small type. It also differs from Futura in that its ‘1’ has a flat (rather than angled) terminal in all weights. Also, the ATF version had mirrored “signpainters” quotes (a form more common in the US).
If you see Futura in a magazine or newspaper published in mid-century America, there’s a good chance it’s actually Spartan (or the other followers: Twentieth Century, Tempo, Vogue).
