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rendon Created in England by Robert Besley, Clarendon is an English slab-serif typeface that was caldesigned for the Fann Street Foundry in 1845. It was named after the Clarendon Press in Oxford and was originally designed to serve as a display letter in a mass of text-type, and for side headings in dictionaries and book of references.
“The most useful founts that a printer can have in his office are the Clarendons: they make a striking word or line either in a handbill or title page, and do not overwhelm the other lines. They have been made with great care, so that while they are distinct and striking, they possess a very graceful outline, avoiding on one hand the clumsy inelegance of the Antique or Egyptian character, hitherto in use among printers, and on the other, the appearance of an ordinary Roman letter thickened by long use under the machine.�
-Printed in Fann Street Foundry's 1873 Type Specimen Book
An ear is a decorative flourish usually on the upper right side of the bowl. Similar to a serif, the ear can be a distinctive element of the Clarendon facetype.
The link is a small, curved stroke that smothly connects the bowl and loop of a double-storey g.
The loop is the enclosed counter below the baseline that connects to the bowl with the use of a link.
Clarendon’s letterforms represented a significant change from the slab-serif Antiques and Egyptians that were so popular in that time. Making the facetype notable as one of the last new developments in nineteenth century typography. Due to Clarendon becoming hugely popular, Besley was forced to register the design under Britain’s Ornamental Designs Act of 1842. Patents at the time lasted only three years and consequently many competing foundries quickly copied its design as soon as the hold was released.
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WELLS FARGO Clarendon quickly became a popular woodtype and was common choice on ‘WANTED’ signs of the old west. Its adaptable and favorable characteristics have enritched the typeface’s resume, ranging from the United States National Park traffic signs to childrensbooks. Today Clarendon is a popular choice for many of the most recognized logotypes. In my personal opinion Clarendon is a forever typeface. Its attributes have made it popular throughout the ages. It is a diverse typeface, friendly enough to be used by restaurants and dependable enough to be represent banks. Its history is rich and intriguing. Clarendon is a unique, diverse and powerful typeface.
Edith Galicia Typography 1 Fall 2013