īesides the digitisation of the Bell face by Monotype, an alternative professional adaptation of the Austin face in optical sizes by Paul Barnes and others under the name of "Austin" is available sold by Commercial Type. Morison praised Austin for his "exceptional technical gift" and described his Bell typeface as "surpassing all previous English and continental type-cutting in precision independence equally against Bodoni and Baskerville". Its history was studied by the historian Stanley Morison in the late 1920s and early 1930s, whose employer, the Monotype Corporation, created a 1931 revival, particularly popular for printing on high-quality paper. Īfter a short initial period of popularity, the face fell into disuse in Britain and Austin's later typefaces are quite different in style, although copies in the United States became popular around the early twentieth century with artisan printers. In italic, like Baskerville, several letters have flourishes.
The figures have a number of elaborate details reminiscent of the steely calligraphy of the period, and the slight inclination of some of them led Walter Tracy to suggest that Austin was following a written example. The figures are distinctive for being at fixed height, or lining, at approximately three-quarter the height of the capitals, in contrast to earlier numerals of variable height. However, it is less severe in design, somewhat similar to the earlier Baskerville and slightly later Bulmer typefaces.
The Bell typeface has a precise appearance that features stylish contrasts between thick and thin strokes and ball terminals on many letters it was influenced by the radical Didone styles of type becoming popular on the continent, in particular the work of the Didot family. Quick facts: Category, Classification, Designer(s), Foundr.
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