[TYPOGRAPHY] CONSTANTIN (F.)

Épreuves des caractères de la fonderie de F. Constantin, à Nancy, département de la Meurthe.

[Nancy], Imprimerie de Haener et Delahaye, 1809.

In-12 (180 x 115 mm), (38) pages, dark green paste paper boards; minor rubbing to binding (Period boards).

The first specimen booklet from the F. Constantin foundry in Nancy, founded in 1805, which had just renewed the printing works of H.M. the King of Wesphalia, Napoleon's youngest brother. The types were engraved by Vibert, the Didot's regular engraver.
The volume opens with a four-page notice providing extensive information on the foundry, its history and its trade. This is followed by a presentation of the company's typefaces, with side-by-side ordinary and italic versions, as well as ornaments, fillets and borders sometimes characteristic of the First Empire.

This 38-leaf volume is as it was composed at the time. The number of leaves varies from copy to copy, from 37 to 45 in online library directories, with, on rare occasions, a fold-out plate of fleurons.

The advantage that my Characters have over those of other Foundries, is that I have given my dies a strong map of depth, more than the others, to the small characters; and of two maps for the large characters, starting from the large Roman, which gives more duration and a sharpness to the impression; proof certified by these Gentlemen to whom I have supplied: observing moreover that they are melted in new molds made for me. You can ask for a larger or smaller eye, and obtain from my house all items relating to printing, such as Vignettes, Fleurons, Filets Systématiques, i.e., from one quadratin of nompareille, up to two hundred and fifty. The headband fillets are, by means of a particular mechanism, as accurate and as beautiful as those executed by the late Sr. Moucherel, a famous mechanic in this part.

From the Arthur Benoît library, with bookplate.

2 000

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