Artcraft (typeface)
Encyclopedia
Artcraft is an Old Style typeface designed in 1912 by Robert Wiebking
for Wiebking, Hardinge & Company which ran the Advance Type Foundry
. It was originally called Craftsman, then Art-Craft, before finally becoming Artcraft. After Advance was sold to the Western Type Foundry
in 1914, Wiebking added Artcraft Bold and Artcraft Italic. After Western was sold to Barnhart Brothers & Spindler
(a subsidiary of American Type Founders
) the face was sold by both BB&S and ATF.
Artcraft is typical of the turn-of-the-century's Chicago School of Hand Lettering, and it compares favorably with other types based upon advertising lettering, such as Frederic Goudy's
Pabst (1902) and Powell (1903), as well as Oz Cooper's
Packard (1913). The face retained a wide popularity for more than two decades.
Wiebking, whose reputation was based upon his collaboration as a matrix cutter for other designers, occasionally ventured a design of his own. Though he is usually credited with creating Artcraft, type historian Alexander Lawson believes that the type was probably created by Edmund C. Fischer.
. The Ludlow matrices were cut by R. Hunter Middleton
. There is also a face known as Art and Craft cast by Stephenson Blake
which might be the same thing.
The face was later made available in cold type and digital versions are now offered by the Font Company, URW++, and Ascender Corporation
.
Robert Wiebking
Robert Wiebking was a German-American engraver typeface designer who was known for cutting type matrixes for Frederic Goudy from 1911 to 1926.-Life and career:...
for Wiebking, Hardinge & Company which ran the Advance Type Foundry
Barnhart Brothers & Spindler
Barnhart Brothers & Spindler Type Foundry was founded as the Great Western Type Foundry in 1873. It became Barnhart Brothers & Spindler ten years later. It was a successful foundry known for innovative type design and well designed type catalogs. Oz Cooper, Will Ransom, Robert Wiebking, and...
. It was originally called Craftsman, then Art-Craft, before finally becoming Artcraft. After Advance was sold to the Western Type Foundry
Western Type Foundry
Western Type Foundry was founded in 1901 to compete with the conglomerate and near-monopoly, American Type Founders. In 1914 Western purchased the Advance Type Foundry in Chicago from Wiebking, Hardinge & Company, though even before this Robert Wiebking did most of the punch-cutting and matrix...
in 1914, Wiebking added Artcraft Bold and Artcraft Italic. After Western was sold to Barnhart Brothers & Spindler
Barnhart Brothers & Spindler
Barnhart Brothers & Spindler Type Foundry was founded as the Great Western Type Foundry in 1873. It became Barnhart Brothers & Spindler ten years later. It was a successful foundry known for innovative type design and well designed type catalogs. Oz Cooper, Will Ransom, Robert Wiebking, and...
(a subsidiary of American Type Founders
American Type Founders
American Type Founders was a business trust created in 1892 by the merger of 23 type foundries, representing about 85% of all type manufactured in the United States...
) the face was sold by both BB&S and ATF.
Artcraft is typical of the turn-of-the-century's Chicago School of Hand Lettering, and it compares favorably with other types based upon advertising lettering, such as Frederic Goudy's
Frederic Goudy
Frederic W. Goudy was a prolific American type designer whose typefaces include Copperplate Gothic, Kennerley, and Goudy Old Style. He also designed, in 1938, University of California Oldstyle, for the sole proprietary use of the University of California Press...
Pabst (1902) and Powell (1903), as well as Oz Cooper's
Oswald Bruce Cooper
Oswald Bruce Cooper was an American type designer, lettering artist, graphic designer, and teacher of these trades.-Early life and education:...
Packard (1913). The face retained a wide popularity for more than two decades.
Wiebking, whose reputation was based upon his collaboration as a matrix cutter for other designers, occasionally ventured a design of his own. Though he is usually credited with creating Artcraft, type historian Alexander Lawson believes that the type was probably created by Edmund C. Fischer.
other versions
Artcraft was copied for machine composition by Monotype and for hand casting by LudlowLudlow Typograph
A Ludlow Typograph is a hot metal typesetting system used in letterpress printing. The device casts bars, or slugs of type, out of type metal primarily consisting of lead. These slugs are used for the actual printing, and then are melted down and recycled on the spot.The Ludlow system uses molds,...
. The Ludlow matrices were cut by R. Hunter Middleton
R. Hunter Middleton
Robert Hunter Middleton was an American book designer, painter, and type designer. Born in Glasgow, Scotland he came to Chicago in 1908 where he studied at the School of the Art Institute. He joined the design department of the Ludlow Typograph Company in 1923 and served as director of the...
. There is also a face known as Art and Craft cast by Stephenson Blake
Stephenson Blake
Stephenson Blake was a British Type foundry, based in Sheffield, England. Active from the 19th century until the 1990s, it remained the last active typefoundry in Britain.-Type Founding:...
which might be the same thing.
The face was later made available in cold type and digital versions are now offered by the Font Company, URW++, and Ascender Corporation
Ascender Corporation
Ascender Corporation is a digital typeface foundry and software development company located in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village, Illinois in the United States...
.