Creator
Firmin Didot (1764–1836)
Title
Spécimen des Nouveaux Caractères et de L'Imprimerie de P. Didot.
Coverage
Paris
Publisher
Pierre Didot
Date
1819
Subject
Octavo
Description
The Didot family has a long history in the field of typography in France. Perhaps the most important member of the dynasty was Firmin Didot, who cut a very refined series of modern typefaces for his printer brother Pierre (1761–1853).
François-Ambrose (1730–1804), also cut typefaces, but it was his son Pierre who moved the family’s type repertoire towards a more modern style, employing very light thins contrasting with heavy thick strokes, extremely thin unbracketed serifs, and the rational vertical shading that was pioneered by Grandjean and Baskerville, and a little later brought to its logical conclusion by Bodoni and Walbaum.
François-Ambrose (1730–1804), also cut typefaces, but it was his son Pierre who moved the family’s type repertoire towards a more modern style, employing very light thins contrasting with heavy thick strokes, extremely thin unbracketed serifs, and the rational vertical shading that was pioneered by Grandjean and Baskerville, and a little later brought to its logical conclusion by Bodoni and Walbaum.
Relation
PROVENANCE: Presentation by the author; Library of the Grolier Club