The Best Of – Sir Douglas Quintet
The second example of Georg Trump’s Forum II on Fonts In Use is again one where the open slab serif letterforms were filled with color. The cover for the debut album by Sir Douglas Quintet from 1966 is credited to Harry Farmlett, who, together with Tony Barsanti, started a design company in Manhattan the same year.
The source of choice for display type at that time and place would have been Photo-Lettering, Inc. (PLINC). Forum II was originally issued in 1952 as metal type by the German foundry C.E. Weber. In addition to their numerous custom creations by staff members like Ed Benguiat as well as external contributors, PLINC also offered a nearly exhaustive range of phototype adaptations from existing typefaces. And indeed Forum I and II can be found in their One Line catalog from 1971, together with solid styles that were exclusive additions by the NYC type house. This Forum Solid may have been used for the color fills here.
The smaller type for the song names is Karnak Black Condensed. Designed by Robert H. Middleton for the Ludlow Typograph in 1935, this narrow slab was part of PLINC’s library, too. Liner notes and track list on the back are set in Hermann Zapf’s Melior.
Stereo release. Note how the complete cover design was shifted to the bottom in order to make room for the “Stereo” label — see also the debut album by Peter, Paul and Mary.
