Backspaces around the world

Backspaces is being enjoyed all over the place. Here are a few images from Instagram.

Figuring out Fraktur

Orga typewriters 1

(We're still waiting for part 2, Will.)

"The Ideal Proportions for Fraktur," by Bert Kerschbaumer

Here is the typecast.

  

This text illustrates the long s in older English printing, as in beſt. Our familiar s is used at the end of words, as in Labours. This text also illustrates some ligatures: ſt in beſt, and what is supposed to be ſi  in Indiſpoſition, but seems to be an fi (f i) ligature by mistake. An ſi ligature looks like this:

The 1928 RaRo (Ransmayer & Rodrian) type catalogue offers no fewer than seven "Fraktur and Gothic" typefaces. 

The first style (42) is the one on my machine, and I believe it is found much more frequently than the others.

More reading on Wikipedia about ...

Fraktur
Blackletter
Long s
Ligatures
Eszett (ß)

Olivetti Valentine typewriter survey

valentine@oli-type.com

Michal Ajvaz on typewriters

Yes, I recently acquired a Fraktur typewriter. More about it soon.

More pieces of Cincinnati

(the first pieces are here)