The Fleuron
Encyclopedia
The Fleuron was a British
journal
of typography
and book arts published in seven volumes from 1923 to 1930. (A fleuron
is a typographer’s floral ornament.)
In 1922 Stanley Morison
— the influential typographical advisor to Monotype — with Francis Meynell
, Holbrook Jackson, Bernard Newdigate and Oliver Simon founded the Fleuron Society in London. The Fleuron was the Fleuron Society's journal of typography and it was produced in seven lavish volumes. Each volume contained a rich variety of papers, illustrations, specimens, inserts and facsimiles along with essays by leading writers of typography and the book arts. The Fleuron is significant in containing influential essays and typographic material still relevant to the history and use of typeface
s.
The Fleuron is also significant as one of a series of British typographic journals embodied in diverse formats and titles: the Monotype Recorder, Alphabet and Image (1946–1952), Typographica
(1949–1967), Motif (1958–1967), Baseline
(1979–present), The Matrix (1981–present) and Eye
(1990–present).
Anthologies and reproductions of the The Fleuron are also now available.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
journal
Magazine
Magazines, periodicals, glossies or serials are publications, generally published on a regular schedule, containing a variety of articles. They are generally financed by advertising, by a purchase price, by pre-paid magazine subscriptions, or all three...
of typography
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
and book arts published in seven volumes from 1923 to 1930. (A fleuron
Fleuron (typography)
A fleuron or printers' flower is a typographic element, or glyph, used originally as an ornament for typographic compositions — often, for example, to compose borders on title pages of historic books. Fleurons are stylized forms of flowers or leaves; the term derives from the Old French word floron...
is a typographer’s floral ornament.)
In 1922 Stanley Morison
Stanley Morison
Stanley Morison was an English typographer, designer and historian of printing.Born in Wanstead, Essex, Morison spent most of his childhood and early adult years at the family home in Fairfax Road, Harringay...
— the influential typographical advisor to Monotype — with Francis Meynell
Francis Meynell
Sir Francis Meredith Wilfrid Meynell was a British poet and printer at The Nonesuch Press.He was son of the writer Alice Meynell, a suffragist and prominent Roman Catholic convert. Francis Meynell was brought in by George Lansbury to be business manager of the Daily Herald in 1913. He was...
, Holbrook Jackson, Bernard Newdigate and Oliver Simon founded the Fleuron Society in London. The Fleuron was the Fleuron Society's journal of typography and it was produced in seven lavish volumes. Each volume contained a rich variety of papers, illustrations, specimens, inserts and facsimiles along with essays by leading writers of typography and the book arts. The Fleuron is significant in containing influential essays and typographic material still relevant to the history and use of typeface
Typeface
In typography, a typeface is the artistic representation or interpretation of characters; it is the way the type looks. Each type is designed and there are thousands of different typefaces in existence, with new ones being developed constantly....
s.
The Fleuron is also significant as one of a series of British typographic journals embodied in diverse formats and titles: the Monotype Recorder, Alphabet and Image (1946–1952), Typographica
Typographica
Typographica was the name of a journal of typography and visual arts founded and edited by Herbert Spencer from 1949 to 1967. Spencer was just 25 years old when the first Typographica was issued....
(1949–1967), Motif (1958–1967), Baseline
Baseline (magazine)
Baseline magazine is a magazine devoted to typography, book arts and graphic design.-History:Since Baseline 19, which appeared in 1995, Baseline has been published by Bradbourne Publishing, co-edited by Mike Daines and Hans Dieter Reichert and art-directed by HDR Visual Communication. It is...
(1979–present), The Matrix (1981–present) and Eye
Eye (magazine)
Eye Magazine, The International Review of Graphic Design is a quarterly print magazine on graphic design and visual culture.- History :...
(1990–present).
Anthologies and reproductions of the The Fleuron are also now available.
Seven volumes
Following is a brief description of the seven volumes along with notable content relating to essays, contributors and typefaces.- Edited by Oliver Simon. London, 1923. Among other articles, this issue includes Francis Meynell & Stanley Morison Printers' flowers and Arabesques.
- Edited by Oliver Simon. London.
- Edited by Oliver Simon. London, 1924. This volume includes articles on the development of the book, W.A. Dwiggins, D.B. Updike and the Merrymount Press, and modern styles in music printing in England.
- Edited by Oliver Simon. London, 1925. The fourth volume includes an essay by Frederic WardeFrederic WardeFrederic Warde was a typographic designer. He was born in Wells, Minnesota, enlisted in the United States Army in 1915 and attended the Army School of Military Aeronautics at the University of California, Berkeley during 1917-1918...
on the work of Bruce Rogers. - Edited by Stanley Morison. The University Press, Cambridge, and Doubleday Page, New York, 1926. This volume includes the essay by Beatrice WardeBeatrice WardeBeatrice Warde , was a communicator on typography. She was the only daughter of May Lamberton Becker, a journalist on the staff of the New York Herald Tribune, and Gustave Becker, composer and teacher.Beatrice was educated at Barnard College at Columbia University...
(using the male pseudonym Paul Beaujon) on the historically inaccurate attribution of Jean Jannon's types to Claude GaramondClaude GaramondClaude Garamond was a French publisher from Paris. He was one of the leading type designers of his time, and is credited with the introduction of the apostrophe, the accent and the cedilla to the French language. Several contemporary typefaces, including those currently known as Garamond, Granjon,...
. - Edited by Stanley Morison. The University Press, Cambridge, and Doubleday Page, New York, 1928. This volume includes articles on Rudolf KochRudolf Kochthumb|250px|[[Fraktur]] fonts by Rudolf KochRudolf Koch was a leading German calligrapher, typographic artist and teacher, born in Nuremberg. He was primarily a calligrapher with the Gebr. Klingspor foundry. He created several typefaces, in both fraktur and roman styles...
, Geofroy Tory, an essay by Beatrice WardeBeatrice WardeBeatrice Warde , was a communicator on typography. She was the only daughter of May Lamberton Becker, a journalist on the staff of the New York Herald Tribune, and Gustave Becker, composer and teacher.Beatrice was educated at Barnard College at Columbia University...
(under the pen name Paul Beaujon) called On Decorative Printing in America and Decorated Types by Stanley Morison. - Edited by Stanley Morison. The University Press, Cambridge, and Doubleday Page, New York, 1930. This volume includes specimens of PerpetuaPerpetua (typeface)Perpetua is a typeface that was designed by English sculptor and typeface designer Eric Gill .Though not designed in the historical period of transitional type , Perpetua can be classified with transitional typefaces because of characteristics such as high stroke...
, CentaurCentaurIn Greek mythology, a centaur or hippocentaur is a member of a composite race of creatures, part human and part horse...
Roman, Monotype BemboBemboBembo is the name given to a 20th-century revival of an old style serif or humanist typeface cut by Francesco Griffo around 1495.The typeface Bembo seen today is a revival designed under the direction of Stanley Morison for the Monotype Corporation in 1929.It is considered a good choice for...
and LutetiaLutetiaLutetia was a town in pre-Roman and Roman Gaul. The Gallo-Roman city was a forerunner of the re-established Merovingian town that is the ancestor of present-day Paris...
. This issue contains a Beatrice WardeBeatrice WardeBeatrice Warde , was a communicator on typography. She was the only daughter of May Lamberton Becker, a journalist on the staff of the New York Herald Tribune, and Gustave Becker, composer and teacher.Beatrice was educated at Barnard College at Columbia University...
essay, Eric GillEric GillArthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
: Sculptor of Letters and a complete reprinting of The Passion of Perpetua and Felicity with type and illustrations by Eric GillEric GillArthur Eric Rowton Gill was a British sculptor, typeface designer, stonecutter and printmaker, who was associated with the Arts and Crafts movement...
. Also included is a famous essay by Stanley Morison, First Principles of Typography.