4 ms·

I think you're right. I also believe that it's more likely that the font was informed by what was commonly taught as good lettering for technical drawings in t

I think you're right. I also believe that it's more likely that the font was informed by what was commonly taught as good lettering for technical drawings in that era. For example, consider the one-stroke gothic lettering in 1883's Standard Lettering, published by the Columbia School of Drafting: https://archive.org/details/standardletterin00claf/page/42/mode/2up https://archive.org/details/standardletterin00claf/page/42/m... And here's A TEXT-BOOK OF FREE-HAND LETTERING, part of the TECHNICAL DRAWING SERIES, first published in 1895: https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/n5/mode/2up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/... Consider the "single-stroke lettering" suggested in that texbook: https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/62/mode/2up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/... https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/66/mode/2up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/... Also consider the model forms for pre-penciled gothic lettering: https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/14/mode/2up?view=theater https://archive.org/details/textbookoffreeha00daniiala/page/... It seems that such lettering was already common when the machines were introduced to produce similar lettering.

card_zero 2y ago
The 3 with a flat top is a "banker's 3", an anti-forgery measure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3 Playing cards use this style of lettering. Not sure how far back that goes but I kind of doubt they all derive from Gorton's specific engraving machines.
- eCa 2y ago
  And used on eg German license plates, for at least partly that reason (IIUC).
- lencastre 2y ago
  Down the rabbit hole I go….
- spacechild1 2y ago
  Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for this insight!
zimpenfish 2y ago
> And here's A TEXT-BOOK OF FREE-HAND LETTERING, part of the TECHNICAL DRAWING SERIES, first published in 1895: Called out in the article - "but I know simple technical writing standards existed already, and likely influenced the appearance of the newfangled routing font. [photograph captioned: From a 1895 “Free-hand lettering” book by Frank T. Daniels]"
frogpelt 2y ago
I know it was a long essay and I skimmed most of it myself. But the author definitely mentions this and even has a picture from the 1895 book you linked to.

card_zero 2y ago

The 3 with a flat top is a "banker's 3", an anti-forgery measure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3 Playing cards use this style of lettering. Not sure how far back that goes but I kind of doubt they all derive from Gorton's specific engraving machines.

eCa 2y ago
And used on eg German license plates, for at least partly that reason (IIUC).
lencastre 2y ago
Down the rabbit hole I go….
spacechild1 2y ago
Ah, that makes sense! Thanks for this insight!

zimpenfish 2y ago

> And here's A TEXT-BOOK OF FREE-HAND LETTERING, part of the TECHNICAL DRAWING SERIES, first published in 1895: Called out in the article - "but I know simple technical writing standards existed already, and likely influenced the appearance of the newfangled routing font. [photograph captioned: From a 1895 “Free-hand lettering” book by Frank T. Daniels]"

frogpelt 2y ago

I know it was a long essay and I skimmed most of it myself. But the author definitely mentions this and even has a picture from the 1895 book you linked to.