Eagle (typeface)
Encyclopedia
Eagle is a font family that is based on '"Eagle Bold", introduced by American Type Founders
in 1934.
logo of the National Recovery Association
. When the design was accepted it was found that the other letters in Novel Gothic were "too eccentric" for use on government posters, and so a new, simpler face was designed by Morris Fuller Benton
, the co-designer of Novel Gothic, for use on NRA materials. Naturally, it was named for the NRA eagle. It was an all-capitals display font, cast in sizes from 18 to 96 point, and was available at least into the 1940's.
The Font Bureau
copied this font in 1989 and published lower-case letters for it. In 1990, "Eagle Book" was added to the family for starting text. "Eagle Light" and "Eagle Black" were added to the family in 1994, thus completing the series.
broadcasting company to use the Eagle Bold font for two logos created for one of their 24-hour cartoon channels (Cartoon Network
), until May 29, 2010.
American Type Founders
American Type Founders was a business trust created in 1892 by the merger of 23 type foundries, representing about 85% of all type manufactured in the United States...
in 1934.
History
"Eagle Bold" derives from the usage of the letters "NRA" from the font Novel Gothic in the original design of the Blue EagleBlue Eagle
The Blue Eagle, a blue-colored representation of the American thunderbird, with outspread wings, was a symbol used in the United States by companies to show compliance with the National Industrial Recovery Act...
logo of the National Recovery Association
National Recovery Administration
The National Recovery Administration was the primary New Deal agency established by U.S. president Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933. The goal was to eliminate "cut-throat competition" by bringing industry, labor and government together to create codes of "fair practices" and set prices...
. When the design was accepted it was found that the other letters in Novel Gothic were "too eccentric" for use on government posters, and so a new, simpler face was designed by Morris Fuller Benton
Morris Fuller Benton
Morris Fuller Benton was an influential American typeface designer who headed the design department of the American Type Founders , for which he was the chief type designer from 1900 to 1937...
, the co-designer of Novel Gothic, for use on NRA materials. Naturally, it was named for the NRA eagle. It was an all-capitals display font, cast in sizes from 18 to 96 point, and was available at least into the 1940's.
The Font Bureau
Font Bureau
The Font Bureau, Inc. or Font Bureau is a digital type foundry based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The foundry is one of the leading designers of typefaces, specializing in type designs for magazine and newspaper publishers....
copied this font in 1989 and published lower-case letters for it. In 1990, "Eagle Book" was added to the family for starting text. "Eagle Light" and "Eagle Black" were added to the family in 1994, thus completing the series.
Fame
This font family has gained fame throughout the 1930s when "Eagle Bold" became a huge hit. This font family has even inspired the TurnerTurner Broadcasting System
Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. is the Time Warner subsidiary managing the collection of cable networks and properties started and acquired by Robert Edward "Ted" Turner starting in the mid-1970s. The company has its headquarters in the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia. TBS, Inc...
broadcasting company to use the Eagle Bold font for two logos created for one of their 24-hour cartoon channels (Cartoon Network
Cartoon Network (United States)
Cartoon Network is an American cable television network owned by Turner Broadcasting which primarily airs animated programming. The channel was launched on October 1, 1992 after Turner purchased the animation studio Hanna-Barbera Productions in 1991...
), until May 29, 2010.