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Nobel (typeface)
Encyclopedia
Nobel is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed by Sjoerd Henrik de Roos
(1877–1962) and Dick Dooijes (1909–1998) in the period 1929–1935 for the Amsterdam Type foundry
). Capitalizing upon Lettergieterij Amsterdam's substantial financial interest in the Berlin typefoundry H. Berthold AG, de Roos conceived of a revival of Berthold Grotesk. Begun just two years after the release of Futura
, Nobel is a similar exploration of geometric form but allows far more biomorphic shapes and variation.
In its light-weight version, Nobel shares considerable similarities with the purity of Futura, yet in the text and bold weights idiosynchronies emerge, revealing a less strident structure. The a is double-storyed, the g has an open tail, and the t has a distinctive curved terminal.
Neither de Roos or Dooijes considered Nobel to be a great achievement, yet it became one of the best selling sans-serif types of the Lettgieterij Amsterdam, continuing in popularity into the mid-1960s. Some post-war functionalists including Wim Crouwel
ridiculed Nobel, describing it as parody of the nineteenth century grotesques.
Andrea Fuchs and Fred Smeijers
of the Dutch Type Library produced a revival in 1993. In the same year in the United States, Tobias Frere-Jones
, then at Font Bureau
, began a revival of the Nobel face. Cyrus Highsmith and Dyana Weissman later added the light weights.
S.H. de Roos
Sjoerd Hendrik de Roos , better known as S.H. de Roos, was a Dutch type designer, book cover designer and artist.De Roos was born in Drachten to a cobbler, but moved to Amsterdam at an early age...
(1877–1962) and Dick Dooijes (1909–1998) in the period 1929–1935 for the Amsterdam Type foundry
Amsterdam Type foundry
The Amsterdam Type foundry was a Dutch type foundry which contributed a number of original type designs early in the 20th century. It eventually became a division of Tetterode. On October 1, 2000, Tetterode transferred the rights for all their typefaces to Linotype...
). Capitalizing upon Lettergieterij Amsterdam's substantial financial interest in the Berlin typefoundry H. Berthold AG, de Roos conceived of a revival of Berthold Grotesk. Begun just two years after the release of Futura
Futura (typeface)
In typography, Futura is a geometric sans-serif typeface designed in 1927 by Paul Renner. It is based on geometric shapes that became representative visual elements of the Bauhaus design style of 1919–1933...
, Nobel is a similar exploration of geometric form but allows far more biomorphic shapes and variation.
In its light-weight version, Nobel shares considerable similarities with the purity of Futura, yet in the text and bold weights idiosynchronies emerge, revealing a less strident structure. The a is double-storyed, the g has an open tail, and the t has a distinctive curved terminal.
Neither de Roos or Dooijes considered Nobel to be a great achievement, yet it became one of the best selling sans-serif types of the Lettgieterij Amsterdam, continuing in popularity into the mid-1960s. Some post-war functionalists including Wim Crouwel
Wim Crouwel
Willem Hendrik Crouwel is a Dutch graphic designer and typographer.Between 1947 and 1949 he studied Fine Arts at Academie Minerva in Groningen, The Netherlands...
ridiculed Nobel, describing it as parody of the nineteenth century grotesques.
Andrea Fuchs and Fred Smeijers
Fred Smeijers
Fred Smeijers is a Dutch graphic, type designer and writer. He studied at the ArtEZ Hogeschool voor de Kunsten in Arnhem in the early 1980s.- Work :...
of the Dutch Type Library produced a revival in 1993. In the same year in the United States, Tobias Frere-Jones
Tobias Frere-Jones
Tobias Frere-Jones is a prolific type designer who works in New York City with fellow type designer Jonathan Hoefler at Hoefler & Frere-Jones, a type foundry in lower Manhattan...
, then at 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....
, began a revival of the Nobel face. Cyrus Highsmith and Dyana Weissman later added the light weights.
External links
- Dutch Type Library web page for Nobel
- Font Bureau web page for Nobel
- Wikipedia page for Sjoerd Henrik de RoosS.H. de RoosSjoerd Hendrik de Roos , better known as S.H. de Roos, was a Dutch type designer, book cover designer and artist.De Roos was born in Drachten to a cobbler, but moved to Amsterdam at an early age...