This list was compiled by Jim Gard. Used with permission and gratitude. The list is based on an Intertype document named 'Matrix Identification, Numerical Listing of Typefaces by Font Number'. That document is undated, but looks to be from the 1950s.
LINOGRAPH. (around 1920). Linograph type specimen book.
LINOTYPE AND MACHINERY LTD. (1964). The Linotype Manual
The Linotype Faces book is undated. However, it references typefaces that were in production, such as Opticon 7△180 and 11△134. These typefaces appear in the 1945 edition but not in earlier ones. Based on this, it is assumed that the book was published between 1937 and 1945.
This book has no date, but appeared after Mergenthaler merged with Stempel and Haas. It is definitely from after 1970, when Matthew Carter designed the typeface 'Olympian', but much earlier than 1989 when Dave Seat received this book. However, with only 75 pages it is a pale ghost of the circa 1939 "Big Red" specimen. While it adds several new faces, the book also claims that "Typefaces found to have limited utility have been deleted and will not appear in this edition". This comment, along with the very low number of pages, clearly illustrates that the production of matrices was already scaled down when the book was published, indicating that the best days of Linotype were already long gone.
This book did not strictly follow the naming convention. While the chapter on display typefaces often uses the abbreviation 'No.', the section on text typefaces does not.
This supplement, together with the supplements dated March, 1931 and April, 1932 and the blue cloth-bound book, constitute a complete showing to date of available Ludlow typefaces.
The introduction states 'This supplement shows all the Ludlow typefaces produced since the publication of the blue cloth-bound specimen book in June, 1930.'
The scanned book is numbered 'D-1140'. While undated, it must date from between 1940 and 1958. (It contains the typeface "Samson," introduced in 1940. A bookseller's listing online in 2011 for copy D-5075 indicates that that copy also bore a date stamp, presumably by the original owner, of Feb. 26, 1958.)
The book is probably from before the following undated (1943 or later).
It is unclear when the large 'Ludlow Typefaces' book was published. It probably was published multiple times, each time updated with the latest font releases. Proof can be found in the 1934 supplement from February 1934, which explicitly mentions for 'Tempo Medium Italic' that some of its type sizes were still in development. But the Ludlow Typefaces book edition D, which is used here, already contains the full list of sizes for 'Tempo Medium Italic'.
This Supplement contains a city zone code, so dates from 1943 or later.
This book may or may not belong with the above Edition D, as it was attached to it. But, however, its page numbers (245-254) overlap with D-1140 (which ends with pp. 245-248). The pages bearing the same numbers in each (245-248) have different contents.
We believe this book was published after 1943, as it mentions typefaces such as Cheltenham Medium, Bodoni Trueface, Admiral Script, and Artcraft in 72-point, which were not listed in earlier editions.
We assume that this leaflet is one of the latest specimens, as it features several later-developed typefaces, as well as the new fonts Coronet Light, Garamond Light Italic, Record Gothic Condensed Italic, and Record Gothic Thinline Extended, which were absent from earlier specimens.
This book definitely dates from after 1964, as it mentions that year as the founding date of Matrotype. On the last page, a code '5/72' appears, strongly suggesting that the book was published in May 1972.
Marlboro Mats was a former seller of Linotype matrices. His information is marked as 'no original source', as the origin of his data is unclear.
In this list, Matrotype typefaces were labeled as 'other manufacturer'. We filtered out those likely related to Matrotype; typefaces we were unsure about are not included.
Note: The Souvenir matrices were a late addition from the 1970s. Souvenir is likely the only typeface originally created for phototypesetting that was later also produced in hot metal. We currently have no type specimens available, but more information can be found on this Wikipedia page. Thanks to Ed Inman for the tip!
BUCHDRUCKEREI JACQUES BOLLMANN AG ZÜRICH. (n.d.). Monotype schriftproben
MONOTYPE (UK). (1946). Book of information.
* is used for font series that were available in italics. + is used on specific point sizes (in the series marked *) that were NOT available in italics.
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