TGIFinisFriday!

This lovely finispiece is joining us all the way from 17th century Amsterdam and is here to wish you all a wonderful weekend!

D. Magni Ausonii … Opera. (Amsterdam, 1669)

A day late, but happy belated #worldBeeDay, with a #finisFriday twist!

We’re thinking about working on a pollinator garden this weekend, what are your plans?

Buzzy tailpiece from: Baldi Baldi De Loco Affecto in Pleuritide Disceptationes. Rome: Francis Caballi, 1643.

We’re kicking off this month’s #TypographyTogether challenge with this lovely type ornaments from Binny & Ronaldson.

Binny & Rolandson, a printer and a baker, went into business together in 1796 to form the highly successful Philadelphia Type Foundry.

A Specimen of metal ornaments cast at the letter foundry of Binny & Ronaldson. Philadelphia: Fry and Kammerer, 1809

Friends, we are pleased to announce that we have made it to #FinisFriday.  

This finispiece comes from Tomasso Azzio’s book on chess which examines the game and its rules as a metaphor for society, morality, and law. 

Thomas Actius.  Thomas Actii Forosemproniensis De ludo scacchorum in legali methodo tractatus. Pisauri: Concordiam, 1583. 

We admired this #finispiece for its elegance and simplicity, and then loved it even more after we noticed the final mis-matched ornament at the lower right. Cheers to you, little ornament, on this beautiful #FinisFriday! 

Samuel Clarke. Scientia metrica & rhythmica, seu Tractatuvs de prosodia Arabica… Oxonii: excudebat H[enry]. H[all]. Academiæ typographus, anno Domini 1661.

If you are in need of an electrotyped type ornament, Bruce’s New York Type Foundry probably has what you’re looking for.  Beehive? Got it.  Tiny chair? Absolutely. Oyster? No problem.  Avocado? Sure, why not, just use the oyster.

An Abridged Specimen of Printing Types, made at Bruce’s New-York Type-Foundry. New-York: George Bruce’s Son & Co., 1869.