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Albertus (typeface)
Encyclopedia
Berthold Wolpe
Berthold Ludwig Wolpe OBE was a German typeface designer and teacher.Wolpe was born in Offenbach, Germany. Trained as a calligrapher with Rudolf Koch at the Offenbach Workshops, as well as a silversmith. The dual knowledge of these crafts informed his thinking about letter design...
in the period 1932 to 1940 for the Monotype Corporation
Monotype Corporation
Monotype Imaging Holdings is a Delaware corporation based in Woburn, Massachusetts and specializing in typesetting and typeface design as well as text and imaging solutions for use with consumer electronics devices. Monotype Imaging Holdings is the owner of Monotype Imaging Inc., Linotype,...
type foundry. Wolpe named the font after Albertus Magnus
Albertus Magnus
Albertus Magnus, O.P. , also known as Albert the Great and Albert of Cologne, is a Catholic saint. He was a German Dominican friar and a bishop, who achieved fame for his comprehensive knowledge of and advocacy for the peaceful coexistence of science and religion. Those such as James A. Weisheipl...
, the thirteenth-century German philosopher and theologian.
Wolpe studied as a metal engraver, and Albertus was modeled to resemble letters carved into bronze. The face began as titling capitals. Eventually a lowercase roman was added, and later an italic, which is distinct for its narrow character set. Albertus has slight glyphic serifs. It is available in titling, bold and italic varieties. The Cyrillic glyphs have been added. The font has Kerning Pairs, so you have to check Kerning in FontCreator.
The project began in 1932. Titling caps were released first, in 1932, followed by a roman upper and lowercase in 1940 with light and bold weights following later.
Characteristics
- In the uppercase M the middle strokes descend only partway, not reaching the baseline.
- The uppercase U has a stem on the right side, evocative of lowercase.
- The lowercase e and g have large, open bowlsTypeface anatomyTypeface anatomy describes the graphic elements that make up printed letters in a typeface.The strokes of a letter are the lines that make it up. Strokes may be straight, as in , or rounded, as in . If straight, they may be horizontal, vertical, or diagonal; if rounded, open or closed...
. - Figures are lining.
Cold Type copies
Albertus' popularity and usefulness continued right through the cold type era and was made available for photocomposition by Monotype and perhaps other venders as well.Digital Type copies
Monotype licences Albertus to LinotypeLinotype
The Mergenthaler Linotype Company is a corporation founded in the United States in 1886 to market the linecaster invented by Ottmar Mergenthaler...
which has released a digital version.
Use
- A slightly modified version was used extensively in The PrisonerThe PrisonerThe Prisoner is a 17-episode British television series first broadcast in the UK from 29 September 1967 to 1 February 1968. Starring and co-created by Patrick McGoohan, it combined spy fiction with elements of science fiction, allegory and psychological drama.The series follows a British former...
, a 1967 British television series frequently mined for cultural references. Modifications to the Albertus font include opening the loop on the lowercase e and the addition of new dotless i and j characters. The typeface was also used for a role playing game supplement based on the TV show, published by Steve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson GamesSteve Jackson Games is a game company, founded in 1980 by Steve Jackson, that creates and publishes role-playing, board, and card games, and the gaming magazine Pyramid.-History:...
. - Albertus was, for many years, the typeface used on English coinage.
- Albertus is used for the street name signs in the City of LondonCity of LondonThe City of London is a small area within Greater London, England. It is the historic core of London around which the modern conurbation grew and has held city status since time immemorial. The City’s boundaries have remained almost unchanged since the Middle Ages, and it is now only a tiny part of...
, City of London Corporation and London Borough of LambethLondon Borough of LambethThe London Borough of Lambeth is a London borough in south London, England and forms part of Inner London. The local authority is Lambeth London Borough Council.-Origins:...
. - Albertus has frequently been used by the band ColdplayColdplayColdplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
. The font was for instance used on the covers of ParachutesParachutesParachutes is the debut album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, released by the record label Parlophone on 10 July 2000 in the United Kingdom. The album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson, excluding one track which was produced by Chris Allison...
, A Rush of Blood to the HeadA Rush of Blood to the HeadA Rush of Blood to the Head is the second studio album by English rock band Coldplay. Released on 26 August 2002 in the UK through the label Parlophone, the album was produced by the band and British record producer Ken Nelson...
, X&YX&YX&Y is the third studio album by English rock band Coldplay, released 6 June 2005 in the United Kingdom via the record label Parlophone. The album, which features influences of electronic music, was produced by the band and British record producer Danton Supple...
, Live 2003Live 2003Live 2003 is a live album by English alternative rock band Coldplay, first released in November 2003. The set features concerts filmed at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion on 21 July 2003 and 22 July 2003....
, associated singles and also for the Christmas LightsChristmas LightsChristmas Lights is a 2004 British Christmas television special broadcast by ITV starring Robson Green and Mark Benton and written by Jeff Pope and Bob Mills...
single cover. - Albertus is used for the cover of Howl and Other PoemsHowl and Other PoemsHowl and Other Poems is a collection of poetry by Allen Ginsberg published November 1, 1956. It contains Ginsberg's most famous poem, "Howl", which is considered to be one of the principal works of the Beat Generation as well as "A Supermarket in California", "Transcription of Organ Music",...
by Allen GinsbergAllen GinsbergIrwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
. - Albertus is used for the logo, titles and credits of the British TV crime drama, Scott & BaileyScott & BaileyScott & Bailey is a British detective drama series that debuted on ITV on 29 May, 2011. The programme's main characters are DC Rachel Bailey and DC Janet Scott , both of whom are members of the Major Incident Team of the fictional Manchester Metropolitan Police, headed by DCI Gill Murray...
, screened from May 2011 on ITV1. - Nearly all of John CarpenterJohn CarpenterJohn Howard Carpenter is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, editor, composer, and occasional actor. Although Carpenter has worked in numerous film genres in his four-decade career, his name is most commonly associated with horror and science fiction.- Early life :Carpenter was born...
's films begin and end with white-on-black credits, set in the Albertus typeface, without any scrolling. - The Buffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire SlayerBuffy the Vampire Slayer is an American television series that aired from March 10, 1997, until May 20, 2003. The series was created in 1997 by writer-director Joss Whedon under his production tag, Mutant Enemy Productions with later co-executive producers being Jane Espenson, David Fury, David...
board game. - The 2011 videogame, Uncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's DeceptionUncharted 3: Drake's Deception is the third game in the Uncharted series, created by Naughty Dog for the PlayStation 3, and was released in North America on November 1, 2011, Europe on November 2, 2011 and Australia on November 3, 2011. It is the sequel to 2009's Uncharted 2: Among Thieves. It was...
. - The lettering on the cover of RankRank (album)Rank is a live album by the English rock band The Smiths. It was released in September 1988 by their British record company, Rough Trade, and reached No. 2 in the British charts. In the United States, the album was released on Sire Records and made No. 77.-About the album:Rank was released as a...
by The SmithsThe SmithsThe Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
is set in Albertus Bold. - Albertus was used for the lettering in the 1984 movie Dune.