Specimen des nouveaux caractères de la fonderie et de l’imprimerie de P. Didot, l’aîné. Dédié à Jules Didot, fils.
Paris, P. Didot, l’aîné, et Jules Didot, fils, 1819.
Large in-8, (40) ff, bradel ochre boards, spine titled Specimen P. Didot l’aîné in long gilt; some rubbing and small stains to boards (Publisher’s binding).
The very first collection of Didot typefaces in book form.
This volume is important for the history of the Didot family, as it heralds the passing of the torch from Pierre Didot dit l'aîné (1761-1853) to his son and associate Jules Didot (1794-1871), to whom the volume is dedicated. Pierre Didot ends his Avis by indicating that Jules will be “in a few years [his] successor”, who will indeed take over in 1822.
The preface contains an important development by Pierre Didot on the use of the typographic point invented by his father to replace the traditional names (Perle, Nompareille, Mignonne, Petit texte, Gaillarde, etc.).
The text is a collection of poems by Pierre Didot presented successively in the different sizes of the Didot typeface, from the smallest (4 and a half) to the largest (21). These typefaces had just been perfected under the master's watchful eye by Vibert, in an elaboration that occupied the years 1809 to 1819.
A charming copy in publisher's boards, with an ex-dono “From the author” on the front flyleaf.
Bigmore & Wyman I, 175-176
2 600€
In stock
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