Baryton
Coppers and Brasses · Étienne Aubert Bonn, My-Lan Thuong · 2020
A two-style display serif drawn in homage to Frank Bartuska's Century Bartuska, with inflated serifs and rounded corners suited to large-scale composition.
About
Designed by Étienne Aubert Bonn and My-Lan Thuong at Coppers and Brasses, Baryton takes its cue from the Photo-Lettering Inc. phototypesetting era, where tight spacing and exaggerated forms became viable at display sizes. The family comprises a roman and a cursive italic, both characterised by swollen serifs, rounded corners and subtle stroke-weight variations that reward close inspection. Intended strictly for large sizes, it carries an elegance unusual for the display register without abandoning its playful, period-aware character.
Classification
A display serif with exaggerated, inflated serifs drawn for large-scale use, inspired by the phototypesetting-era Century Bartuska. Its swollen bracketing and unusual proportions place it firmly in the display category rather than text serif.