American Type Founders
|
|
American Type Founders (ATF) was the dominant American manufacturer of metal type from its creation in 1892 as the merger of 23 type foundries for several decades. Faced with competition from composing machines such as the Linotype machine, profits began to decline in the 1920's, and even a brush with bankruptcy in 1933. However, the company continued to manufacture metal type, declining very gradually over the years. By 1983, the company had shrunk to six employees, and in 1993 it closed its doors, auctioning off the remaining type and equipment. The printing division became ATF Davidson, and for a while Kingsley/ATF made the attempt to sell digital fonts under the ATF brand.
During its heyday, ATF manufactured metal type of renowned quality and technical excellence. Morris Fuller Benton, arguably the most prolific type designer in history, served as chief type designer from 1900 to 1937, and many of his designs continue to be popular today. ATF also commissioned fonts from other noteworthy designers such as Frederic Goudy.
The specimen books produced by the ATF are masterpieces of printing as well as showcases for the diversity of font designs. Type designers and printing historians continue to study these sources as inspirations for font design and digital typography technology.
Another legacy of the ATF is its typographic museum and library, which it operated for many years, before finally transferring the collection to Columbia University in 1936.
External links
- ATF reference books (http://www.garloo.com/atf_reference_books.htm)
- brief history of the American type founders (http://www.constantreader.org/v2/view52.html)
- Bookplate archive: Typographic Library and Museum of the ATF (http://www.gslis.utexas.edu/~landc/bookplates/21_4_ATF.htm)