A Selection of Fifty Type Specimens: from the collection of Tobias Frere-Jones

11.11 x 3.81 x 15.88 cm | 50 boxed cards 

Princeton Architectural Press | 2017 | 9781616896447

Linen covered box typeset in Mallory and Union Gothic

Fifty Type Specimens is a collection of postcards with stunning images of typography, for inspiration, correspondence, or display. The cards feature classic letterforms, pages from specimen books, and crops of gorgeous letters presented in a box with the feel of an old specimen book. Historic typefaces, selected by renowned designer Tobias Frere-Jones, from his collection of over 300 specimen books.

For more than 25 years, Frere-Jones has established himself as one of the world’s leading typeface designers, creating some of the most widely used typefaces, including Interstate, Poynter Oldstyle, Whitney, Gotham, Surveyor, Tungsten and Retina.

“From shelf after shelf of possibilities, we chose a dozen examples each from four
countries: the United States, Great Britain, France, and Germany. I tried to pick designs that were distinct to that place and a part of its history, without careening into stereotypes. It was genuinely difficult to choose only a dozen examples from each place, when the histories are so rich. There are so many stories to be found and “read” here. I hope you enjoy.” Tobias Frere-Jones