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enter image description here

For the time being I have only this image of A. Can you tell me what the name of this font is?

Explaining that a certain answer that easily comes to mind does not work:

I tried to use WhatTheFont on the example. (see http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/). It was somewhat complicated to even find out whether it could work or not, I describe it here, because it not like "anybody could just try".

It took some workarounds to have it even try to recognize the font. With the workarounds, the recognition was running, but found nothing similar.

As it did not separate the letters at first step, I separated one manually in GIMP:

Separated letter A

But still, it did not recognize it as a single letter, but two, based on the gap on the left side.

So I covered that gap:

Separated letter A with gap covered

Now the recognition started just fine, but the resulting list of similar fonts did not show anything interesting (you could try with the last image).


EDIT: The letter A in question may be flipped, so if you are looking for the source then you might try to using this image as well -

enter image description here

0

4 Answers 4

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Edit: to be absolutely clear; both @Ilan and my answers are correct. The difference in names is anybody's guess, but that is what happens when fonts, designers, technology and rights changes hands.


Here is an interesting twist; I knew I had seen it before, and consulting my incredibly old Letraset book, I make it out to be Harrington. Seems Rossetti is the digital version.

enter image description here

History-ish

For maybe unnecessary amount of information: the font is a pretty classic art nuveau, and likely to be early 1900:

  • It is listed in my very old (1988) Letraset book under the ownership of Letragraphica, a daughter company of Letraset, with no designer assosiated.
  • However; online it is attributed to Sam Wang, 1991. Other places it is attributed to the Font Lab.
  • I was modified in 2009

Classic art nuveau aesthetics:

enter image description here

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  • @Sumann I cannot believe that David Nalle stole this font... but try to investigate the issue...
    – Ilan
    Apr 10, 2014 at 7:35
  • @Sumann the letter in question is derived from Harrington font, so Random should be closer to the exact answer. I'd accept her answer.
    – Ilan
    Apr 10, 2014 at 7:55
  • 1
    He did not necessarily steal the font; there was a big shift back then. But here is an interesting fact: Harrington is at least from 1988, attributed to Letragraphica, but this site says Sam Wang made it in 1991. It is clearly an art noveau inspired font, and probably exsisted long before fontspace.com/sam-wang/harrington
    – benteh
    Apr 10, 2014 at 8:37
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After I converted the letter in question and uploaded it to the edited question it became clear that the font exists for sure. Multiple editions to the original question caused this fact to disappear, thus I put this info here to show that right answer became possible after flipping the A letter and updating the post.

You can read about the sources at Microsoft Page

The source was made by Haddon Harrington

http://www.fontspace.com/sam-wang/harrington

enter image description here

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/scriptorium/rossetti/rossetti/glyphs.html#glyphs/203556/30

enter image description here

1

Actually, the Harrington font is ALSO attributed to Dan X. Solo in a 1976 Dover publication called "Art Nouveau Display Alphabets", currently available as an eBook version:

http://store.doverpublications.com/0486168859.html

I purchased a copy of the eBook, copyright by Dover in 1976, and the exact font named "Harrington" is indeed in it and was listed as free for the following uses as quoted on the Dover website: "Use these [font] faces for posters, menus, signs, greeting cards, book jackets, and title pages, packaging and advertising design, point-of-purchase displays, quality craft work and needlework, and any other projects that call for unique, powerful, and beautiful alphabetic design."

Apparently the fonts came from the "Solotype Typographers Catalog" (Dan X. Solo's fonts?).

1
  • Can you add a screenshot of that font for a fast proof?
    – Mensch
    Mar 17, 2018 at 23:47
1

"The Solotype Catalog of 4,147 Display Typefaces (Lettering, Calligraphy, Typography)", Paperback – November 30, 2011. On page 139 = "Harrington" font.

Originally published in 1992, from Dan X. Solo's "Solotype" collection of antique fonts.

Also available at Dover Publications: http://store.doverpublications.com/0486144062.html

Amy

1
  • Welcome to GD.SE! Can you add a screenshot of that font?
    – Mensch
    Mar 17, 2018 at 23:44

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