Volume 19–4 (Low Res).pdf

TYPOGRAPHIC MILESTONES
by Allan Haley
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DUTCH TYPE DESIGNER JAN VAN KRIMPEN wrote extensively about
the virtues of cutting type by hand, extolling it as the
highest form of type development. Countless times
in his career, he asserted that it was the punchcutter's
job to take a rough alphabet design and turn it into
a usable font of type.
For years, he worked closely with the same punchcutter
on each typeface he drew for the Enschede
type foundry in Haarlem. In all his voluminous writings,
however, Van Krimpen only once gave credit
to his punchcutter, and even then, never mentioned
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the artisan by name.
Although Van Krimpen is remembered by some
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as a delightful host and companion who was very
generous with his time, he was also known for being
suspicious, obstinate and possessing an ego which
El\ interfered with personal and business relationships.
While not everyone was in complete agreement
("4 about his character, nearly all were in accord regarding
Van Krimpen's ability as a typographer. Even
some of his harshest critics would contend that Jan
van Krimpen was perhaps one of the greatest book
typographers of the 20th century.
THE BIG BREAK
Van Krimpen was born in Gouda, Holland, in January
of 1892. After studying at the Academy of Art in
The Hague, he worked as a freelance designer and
gradually established an impressive network of friends
and associates. It was one such friend at the Dutch
Post Office who provided Van Krimpen with the project
that was to begin his career as a world renowned
type designer.
In 1923 a special issue of postage stamps was being
prepared for the 25th jubilee in honor of Queen
Wilhelmina, and the artist who was commissioned to
create the stamp art was having trouble with the lettering.
Van Krimpen's friend was general secretary of
the Dutch Post Office and suggested that the promising
lettering artist be asked to help.
The prestigious Haarlem printing company of
Enschede en Zonen printed the stamp and Van Krimpen's
lettering caught the attention of its director,
Dr. Johannes Enschede, who was at that time looking
for ways to improve the company's book and letterpress
division. Dr. Enschede decided that a new typeface
created by such a talented young designer as
Van Krimpen might be just what the business needed.
Van Krimpen was asked to design a new typeface
for the firm, to be cut by P. H. Radisch, Enschede's