Type from Eros Magazine

Question

From the 2nd Eros Magazine, 1962. Does anyone know what this font is? I guess it could be custom work by Lubalin. If so, what are some similar typefaces?

Answer 1

A similar style is shown as “Medieval” in the 9th edition of Hills Manual of Social and Business Forms from 1876. It probably is a foundry typeface, but it might also be a custom drawn alphabet. In 2010, Brian J. Bonislawsky digitized it as MFC Hills Medieval.

It’s not a match for your sample. The letterforms might have been derived from a different field than printing typefaces, think alphabets for gravestone lettering, for example. The closest style in Photo-Lettering’s library that I could find is Memorial, an adaptation of a typeface issued by the Boston foundry in 1881 – which likewise was digitized by Bonislawsky, as Reliquaire AOE.

Comments

Alright, I did some more digging. This general design originated in 1847 at Figgins in England, as Tudoresque. In her Nineteenth Century Ornamented Typefaces, Nicolete Gray shows it in a single size (≈44pt). In 1869, Bruce in the United States showed a similar cut, also in a single size (≈24pt), as Medieval. In 1878, MacKellar, Smiths & Jordan showed Medieval in three sizes. While the largest size appears to match Figgins’s cut, the smallest appears to match Bruce’s. The digital MFC Hills Medieval is based on the largest size. The letterforms in Eros appear to match the medium size. For more info and links, see Tudoresque at Fonts In Use.

Here are three samples showing the three sizes by MS&J, from specimens from 1885, 1888, and c.1892. Note the differences in repeating letters like A, C, r, t.

 

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Great work and very interesting info. Thank you so much!!

I think I'm in love with this typeface. Just look at that capital A!

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I turned this into a post on Fonts In Use. Thanks for pointing me to it!