The Clarendon typeface originated in 1815 England during the Industrial Revolution. It was a bold, slab-serif style used prominently in advertising to stand out. By 1845, the Fann Street Foundry had registered the name "Clarendon." It was widely used through the 1800s and remained popular for titles, headlines, and signs through the 20th century. New interpretations of the Clarendon style continue to be made today.

1. 45 RPM
CLARENDON
TYPE SPECIMEN
428-87 Pub., Advance
Time: 0:08
A L L I S O N V. L E A C H
( 2 0 1 1)
CCA
Graduate Design
San A
Francisco, C

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History
The name Clarendon is often used as a general term for
all bracketed slab serif typefaces – a style that appeared
at the start of the Industrialization Revolution of Britain
around 1820. Innovations in printing technology at this
time, such as the Steam Press, spawned a new wave of
advertising that was marked by attention-grabbing display
letterforms on nearly every billboard, pamphlet and poster.
For the first time, typography design was independent
from the influence of the book.
Interestingly, the earliest Clarendon typeface was not
solid; “Two-line pica in shade” by Vincent Figgins in 1815
was an outlined form. Some historians believe that the
Clarendon model was used in Roman architectural relief in

4. the eighteenth century, and was preserved in copperplate
engravings in shaded outlines in the nineteenth century.
It was not until 1844 that a solid Clarendon version was
made: “Ionic” Calson.
In October of 1845, the Fann Street Foundry registered
the name “Clarendon” under the new Ornamental
Designs Act of 1842. Its design was a slightly
condensed display typeface that functioned as the first
related bold – it harmonized with the roman types it
was set with in both design and alignment. Serifs were
thinned with the x height at medium length to allow
for legibility at smaller sizes. Because of its immediate
popularity, however, Besley’s Clarendon was widely
copied. When the three-year copyright expired, other
type foundries caught on, producing “Piracies and
Imitations,” as Besley complained.
Use
As the first related bold, Clarendon was especially
relevant in the mid-1800s – a period of increased printed
material which necessitated more structured texts. A
bold typeface that stood out from the main text would
“An
allow the reader to pick out the most important pieces
of information in normal linear reading. Prior to its
wou

5. invention, italics were primarily used to emphasize more
important parts of text.
In the first half of the nineteenth century, Clarendon
models were employed in newspaper printing. These
were ideal printing typefaces because they reduced
problems of illegibility that resulted from ink trapping.
During World War I, Clarendon was widely used in
proclamations by the German government. In the
American Old West, Clarendon commonly appeared in
wanted posters. The United States National Park Service
embraced Clarendon in the design of its traffic signs,
although the typeface has been phased out over the
last half century. American designers also popularized
Clarendon in the mid-twentieth century, particularly
Bradbury Thompson and Lou Dorfsman.
Evolution
In 1951, a new “Clarendon” was created by Herman
Eidenbenz for the Stempel foundry and published by
Linotype. For many people today, this is the epitome
of the Clarendon style. Newer interpretations of the
nd
Clarendon model include “Belizio” by the Font Bureau in
1987, and “Sentinel” by Hoefler & Frere-Jones in 2009.
uldn't it be nice
to live together, in the kind
of world where we belong? ”

6. Clarendon Roman
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Clarendon Light
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8. If I fell in love
would you prom
and help me
cause I’ve been
Bold 19pt
and I found that
than just hol
If I GAVE MY H
I must
from the v
that you would love
IF I TRUS
Light 27pt
oh pl
don’t run
IF I LOVE
oh pl
don’t hurt my
cause I couldn’t
and I woul
our new love
So I hope you
would love
Bold 25pt
and that sh
when she learn

9. Roman 15pt
love with you
mise to be true
e understand
n in love before
t love was more
lding hands.
HEART TO you
be sure
very start
e me more than her. Roman 31pt
ST IN YOU
lease
and hide.
E YOU TOO
lease
pride like her Light 9/11pt
t stand the pain
ld be sad if
e was in vain.
you see that I
to love you
he will cry
ns we are two.

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your sighs
72pt
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see so much

11. Style name: Roman
Designer: Robert Besley
Clarendon
48pt Foundry: Fann Street
Date: 1845
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36pt
are words we
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we both could
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14pt
put your head
say, but
don’t talk
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10pt
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on my

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