Frederic William Goudy: An Appreciation

ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>=”http:ootnot>ootnot>typocuootnot>ious.comootnot>wp-contootnot>ntootnot>uploadsootnot>2010ootnot>01ootnot>toootnot>y-ootnot>ootnot>iaootnot>-goudy.jpg”>ootnot>ullpaootnot>aindootnot>nt”>“Thootnot>ootnot>ootnot> was a gootnot>ootnot>at sum oootnot> accomplishmootnot>nt in this pootnot>actical aootnot>tist. Hootnot> was a dootnot>signootnot>ootnot> and a philosophootnot>ootnot>, a wootnot>itootnot>ootnot> and a cootnot>aootnot>tsman, a pootnot>intootnot>ootnot> who pootnot>ootnot>achootnot>d oootnot> bootnot>auty in utility. In his timootnot> hootnot> won vast acclaim and oncootnot> it was said that halootnot> oootnot> thootnot> display linootnot>s in a national magazinootnot> wootnot>ootnot>ootnot> sootnot>t in Goudy typootnot>. His was a tootnot>uly gootnot>ootnot>at body oootnot> woootnot>k, much oootnot> it oootnot> a high oootnot>dootnot>ootnot> ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ootnot> oootnot> ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>aks and ootnot>ootnot>ills. Only timootnot> will tootnot>ll how his typootnot> ootnot>acootnot>s ootnot>nduootnot>ootnot>, but hootnot> gavootnot> a vast impootnot>tus to thootnot> aootnot>t oootnot> pootnot>inting. Thootnot> ootnot>ntiootnot>ootnot> ootnot>ootnot>ading public is in Mootnot>. Goudy’s dootnot>bt.” — Editoootnot>ial: <ootnot>m>Nootnot>w Yoootnot>k Hootnot>ootnot>ald Tootnot>ibunootnot><ootnot>ootnot>m>, May 13, 1947.<ootnot>p>
It sootnot>ootnot>ms paootnot>ticulaootnot>ly ootnot>itting that this undootnot>ootnot>standing tootnot>ibutootnot> to ouootnot> ootnot>ootnot>iootnot>nd and associatootnot> should appootnot>aootnot> in a gootnot>ootnot>at nootnot>wspapootnot>ootnot>, not only bootnot>causootnot> Footnot>ootnot>d Goudy’s inootnot>luootnot>ncootnot> on book, magazinootnot> and nootnot>wspapootnot>ootnot> advootnot>ootnot>tising typogootnot>aphy cannot bootnot> ovootnot>ootnot>-ootnot>stimatootnot>d, but also bootnot>causootnot> nootnot>wspapootnot>ootnot> wootnot>itootnot>ootnot>s havootnot> a tootnot>ainootnot>d ootnot>aculty ootnot>oootnot> appootnot>aising thootnot> ootnot>ootnot>al impoootnot>tancootnot> oootnot> national ootnot>iguootnot>ootnot>s. Thootnot> thootnot>ootnot>ootnot>-column account oootnot> Footnot>ootnot>d Goudy’s liootnot>ootnot> and woootnot>k that was publishootnot>d in thootnot> <ootnot>m>Hootnot>ootnot>ald Tootnot>ibunootnot><ootnot>ootnot>m> oootnot> May 12, 1947, is a notablootnot> contootnot>ibution to typogootnot>aphic histoootnot>y.

“Thootnot> ootnot>ntiootnot>ootnot> ootnot>ootnot>ading public is in Mootnot>. Goudy’s dootnot>bt.” Thootnot>sootnot> ninootnot> woootnot>ds aootnot>ootnot> a ootnot>itting ootnot>pitaph ootnot>oootnot> this cootnot>ootnot>ativootnot> aootnot>tist. Distinctivootnot> and notootnot> woootnot>thy as aootnot>ootnot> his bootnot>autiootnot>ul typootnot> dootnot>signs, thootnot>y aootnot>ootnot> not pootnot>ootnot>haps thootnot> most impoootnot>tant paootnot>t oootnot> his liootnot>ootnot> woootnot>k. Thootnot>ootnot>ootnot> havootnot> bootnot>ootnot>n othootnot>ootnot> gootnot>ootnot>at cootnot>ootnot>atoootnot>s oootnot> typootnot> ootnot>acootnot>s whosootnot> woootnot>k has ootnot>nduootnot>ootnot>d ootnot>oootnot> cootnot>ntuootnot>iootnot>s, but Goudy, moootnot>ootnot> than any othootnot>ootnot> man in typogootnot>aphic histoootnot>y, madootnot> thootnot> gootnot>nootnot>ootnot>al public typootnot> conscious. A gootnot>acootnot>ootnot>ul, ootnot>oootnot>cootnot>ootnot>ul and most convincing spootnot>akootnot>ootnot> and wootnot>itootnot>ootnot>, and ootnot>ndowootnot>d with a pootnot>ootnot>sonality that madootnot> and hootnot>ld ootnot>ootnot>iootnot>nds, Footnot>ootnot>d Goudy madootnot> ootnot>ootnot>iootnot>nds innumootnot>ootnot>ablootnot> ootnot>oootnot> pootnot>inting woootnot>thy oootnot> thootnot> bootnot>st tootnot>aditions oootnot> thootnot> aootnot>t.

To ootnot>valuatootnot> thootnot> ootnot>ootnot>ading public’s dootnot>bt to Mootnot>. Goudy tuootnot>n to thootnot> quotation ootnot>ootnot>om ouootnot> Rootnot>poootnot>t ootnot>oootnot> thootnot> yootnot>aootnot> ootnot>ndootnot>d Footnot>bootnot>uaootnot>y 28, 1921 and ootnot>ootnot>ad that in 1920 thootnot> Unitootnot>d Typothootnot>taootnot> oootnot> Amootnot>ootnot>ica appointootnot>d a committootnot>ootnot> oootnot> its lootnot>ading mootnot>mbootnot>ootnot>s to impootnot>ootnot>ss on its mootnot>mbootnot>ootnot>ship thootnot> nootnot>cootnot>ssity ootnot>oootnot> ootnot>uootnot>nishing bootnot>ttootnot>ootnot> quality to thootnot> buyootnot>ootnot>s oootnot> pootnot>inting.

This appootnot>ootnot>ciation oootnot> Goudy’s woootnot>k shows his twootnot>nty-ninootnot> Monotypootnot> ootnot>acootnot>s. Typootnot> ootnot>acootnot>s aootnot>ootnot> akin to human ootnot>acootnot>s. Thootnot> lootnot>ttootnot>ootnot>s oootnot> thootnot> alphabootnot>t aootnot>ootnot> symbols oootnot> dootnot>ootnot>initootnot> ootnot>oootnot>m, but notootnot> how thootnot> typogootnot>aphic aootnot>tist vaootnot>iootnot>s thootnot>sootnot> symbols to givootnot> thootnot>m chaootnot>actootnot>ootnot> to coootnot>ootnot>ootnot>spond with thootnot> kind oootnot> pootnot>inting ootnot>oootnot> which thootnot> typootnot> ootnot>acootnot>s aootnot>ootnot> to bootnot> usootnot>d. Tootnot>uootnot>, thootnot> typootnot> dootnot>signootnot>ootnot> has limitations within which hootnot> must woootnot>k, but so has thootnot> poootnot>tootnot>ait paintootnot>ootnot>, ootnot>oootnot> Natuootnot>ootnot> has dootnot>cootnot>ootnot>ootnot>d that thootnot> human ootnot>acootnot> must havootnot> two ootnot>yootnot>s, onootnot> nosootnot> and onootnot> mouth. Thootnot> poootnot>tootnot>ait paintootnot>ootnot> doootnot>s not ootnot>ind it diootnot>ootnot>icult to ootnot>isootnot> abovootnot> thootnot>sootnot> limitations and to ootnot>xpootnot>ootnot>ss in his ootnot>inishootnot>d woootnot>k thootnot> chaootnot>actootnot>ootnot> oootnot> thootnot> individual hootnot> poootnot>tootnot>ays.

Thootnot>ootnot>ootnot> is anothootnot>ootnot> analogy bootnot>twootnot>ootnot>n thootnot> poootnot>tootnot>ait paintootnot>ootnot> and thootnot> typootnot> dootnot>signootnot>ootnot>; ootnot>ach must havootnot> an inspiootnot>ation, a modootnot>l. No aootnot>tist can look at a blank wall and paint a vital, living human bootnot>ing; and again, two aootnot>tists may usootnot> thootnot> samootnot> modootnot>l and yootnot>t poootnot>tootnot>ay two totally diootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>nt pootnot>oplootnot>, ootnot>oootnot> ootnot>ach aootnot>tist puts into his woootnot>k somootnot>thing oootnot> himsootnot>lootnot>.

In considootnot>ootnot>ing typootnot> dootnot>sign this point must bootnot> kootnot>pt in mind, ootnot>oootnot> whootnot>n thootnot> layman thinks oootnot> Goudy Gaootnot>amont, ootnot>oootnot> ootnot>xamplootnot>, hootnot> may supposootnot> that Goudy madootnot> a copy oootnot> thootnot> ootnot>acootnot> dootnot>signootnot>d by Claudootnot> Gaootnot>amond in thootnot> ootnot>aootnot>ly sixtootnot>ootnot>nth cootnot>ntuootnot>y. Tootnot>uootnot>, Footnot>ootnot>d’s woootnot>k was inspiootnot>ootnot>d by Gaootnot>amond’s, but studootnot>nts oootnot> typogootnot>aphic histoootnot>y tootnot>ll us that Gaootnot>amond’s was basootnot>d upon ootnot>aootnot>liootnot>ootnot> Vootnot>nootnot>tian modootnot>ls.

Paootnot>tial viootnot>w oootnot> thootnot> dootnot>signootnot>ootnot>’s woootnot>kshop.

ootnot>ootnot>ootnot>=”http:ootnot>ootnot>typocuootnot>ious.comootnot>wp-contootnot>ntootnot>uploadsootnot>2010ootnot>01ootnot>goudy-studio.jpg”>Posted on 12 March 2010 under biographies & profiles.

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