Caslon Italian
Commercial Type · Paul Barnes · 2018
A revival of Caslon's 1821 reverse-contrast Italian, one of the strangest episodes of nineteenth-century typefounding.
About
A reverse-contrast display face by Paul Barnes that revives Caslon's 1821 Italian, one of the stranger experiments of early nineteenth-century typefounding. By reversing the fatface's stress so thins become thicks and thicks become thins, the original produced an unusual effect that other foundries largely declined to copy. Sits at the heart of the Caslon revival programme alongside Caslon French Antique and Caslon Italian Shaded for posters, packaging and editorial display rooted in the Victorian poster tradition.
Classification
Commercial Type describe Caslon Italian as a reverse-contrast display style introduced by Caslon in 1821, with the fatface's stress reversed so thins become thicks and thicks become thins. The original punches remain in St Bride library.