Course:LIBR548F/2012WT1/Claude Garamond
The Man
Claude Garamond was a French punch cutter and publisher in the 16th century. He is known primarily for his type designs, derivatives of which are commonly used today.
Little is known about Claude Garamond's early life. His birthdate is disputed, with some sources claiming Garamond was born as early as 1480. However, in 2011, the French Minsitry of Communication and Culture found that his year of birth more likely falls around 1510, the year many researchers believed Garamond began an apprenticeship under Antoine Augereau.[1] While details of Garamond's early career and training are unclear, Garamond's began working for the French printer Robert Estienne in the late 1520s, with his first roman typeface appearing in Erasmus' Paraphrasis in Elegantiarum Libros Laurentii Vallae in 1530.[2] In 1540, the French king, Francois I, commissioned Garamond to produce a Greek typeface, the Grecs du Roi.[3] In the 1540s, Garamond opened his own workshop and foundry in the Rue des Carmes, where he continued to produce type, including roman and italic characters, for Estienne and other French printers.[1]
In 1545, Garamond became a publisher with Jean Barbé; his first publication was Pia et religious meditatio by David Chambellan and printed by Garamond's brother-in-law, Pierre Gaultier.[4]
Personal Life
Garamond was married to Guillemette Gaultier. After her death in 1550, he married Ysabeau Le Febre.[5]
Death
Garamond died of illness in 1561. After his death, Garamond's widow sold his punches and matrices. Many were sold to Christophe Plantin can now be seen in the Plantin-Moretus Museum in Antwerp, Belgium.[6]
The Typeface
Garamond's type was influenced by publications printed by Aldus Manutius; in particular, by Pietro Bembo's De Ætna, which featured a type cut by punch cutter Francesco Griffo. Researchers believe that Garamond studied the copy of De Ætna owned by his friend Geoffrey Troy, the first French imprimeur du roi (royal printer).[2]
In his later romans, Garamond deviated from his earlier designs and added his own artistic elements. Alexander Lawson, in Anatomy of a Typeface (1990), notes the capital M as an example of Garamond's changing artistic style; later faces include a serif at the top right of the stem, while earlier models do not.[7] In An Introduction to Typography, Philip Van Doren Stern says about Garamond's typefaces: "French typography evolved a letter style which was exceedingly graceful, delicate, and beautifully drawn."[8] It is no wonder that Garamond's designs have been revived and adapted for a modern audience.
The Revival
Although Garamond’s texts were ignored for two centuries, the 19th and 20th centuries saw a resurgence of Garamond-inspired typefaces. In 1825, a typeface was discovered in the vaults of the French national printing office. This typeface, deemed caractères de l’Université, was used by the Royal Printing Office under Cardinal Richelieu in the 17th century. In 1901, the French National Printing Office began using the type, which they attributed to Claude Garamond.[9]
In 1917, the American Type Founders Company produced their own version of the font, drawn by Morris Benton. This was quickly followed by Frederic Goudy’s 1921 rendition, “Garamont,” “Monotype Garamond” (1924) by Monotype Corporation of England, and “Stempel Garamond” (1924).[3]
(type)Face-Off
In 1925, while writing an article about Garamond’s type, Beatrice Warde, under the psudonym Paul Beaujon, discovered that the caractères de l’Université were drawn not by Garamond but by Jean Jannon (1580-1685), a lesser-known punch cutter. Although Jannon’s type had been modeled after Garamond’s, there were some notable differences, particularly in the italics of some letters.[10] Therefore, some 20th century typefaces labeled “Garamond,” notably those drawn in the early part of the century, were based on Jannon’s designs.
Garamond and Beyond
In the 21st century, derivatives of Garamond's typefaces are commonly used and are regarded as some of the most versatile and elegant fonts. A variation of Garamond, ITC Garamond, became popular after 1984 when Apple Computers used it for its logos and print materials. Popular book series, such as The Hunger Games trilogy, the Harry Potter series, and books by Dr. Seuss have been set in Garamond type.[11]
A Selection of Garamond Fonts
| Name | Date | Designer | Inspiration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garamond 3 | 1917, 1936 | Morris Benton for American Type Founders Company | Jean Jannon's caractères de l’Université |
| Garamont | 1921 | Frederic Goudy for Lanston Type Co. | Jean Jannon's caractères de l’Université |
| Monotype Garamond | 1922 | Monotype Corporation of England | Jean Jannon's caractères de l’Université |
| Stempel Garamond | 1925 | D. Stempel | Egenolff-Berner sheet (Claude Garamond) |
| Granjon | 1924 | George Jones for the Linotype Company | Claude Garamond |
| ITC Garamond | 1977 | Troy Stan for International Typeface Corporation | Claude Garamond |
| Adobe Garamond | 1989 | Robert Slimbach for Adobe | Claude Garamond |
For more information about the Garamond fonts, visit the Linotype website.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 National commemorations: Claude Garamond
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lawson, Alexander. Anatomy of a Typeface. Boston: David R. Godine, 1990, p. 132.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Loxley, Simon. Type: The Secret History of Letters. London: I.B. Tauris, 2004, p. 41.
- ↑ National commemorations: Claude Garamond
- ↑ National Commemorations: Claude Garamond
- ↑ Lawson, Alexander. Anatomy of a Typeface. Boston: David R. Godine, 1990, p. 134.
- ↑ Lawson, p. 133.
- ↑ Stern,Philip Van Doren. An Introduction to Typography. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1932, p. 53.
- ↑ Lawson, p. 136-7.
- ↑ Lawson, p. 136-7.
- ↑ Wikipedia: Garamond
Web Links
Typefoundry: Garamond or Garamont?
Jim Godfrey Designs: The Ketchup of Typefaces
Linotype: Just What Makes a "Garamond" a Garamond?
Three Excellent Sources
Alexander Lawson's Anatomy of a Typeface
Lawson, Alexander. Anatomy of a Typeface. Boston: David R. Godine, 1990.
Lawson's book contains a thoroughly-researched chapter about Claude Garamond's career. It is also a useful resource for information about other type cutters, as well as information about type making (from punch to computer).
Simon Loxley's Type: The Secret History of Letters
Loxley, Simon. Type: The Secret History of Letters. London: I.B. Tauris, 2004.
Loxley's book, written 14 years after Lawson's, contains more current information (filling some of the gaps in Lawson's book), and is written in a more colloquial style. Anyone interested in typefaces would enjoy Loxley's book, wheras Lawson's is intended for a more scholarly audience.
France's Ministry of Culture & Communication's website: "National Commemorations: Claude Garamond"
Little is known about Garamond's early life, but the National Commemorations website answers some long-standing questions. They have used archival documents and a plethora of resources to illuminate our understanding of Garamond's life and career. The website contains links to media such as video and an extensive photo gallery. It also contains information about Garamond's contemporaries, and about printing in the 16th century.