Dead History is a typeface which explores combining structural elements of both geometric sans-serif and
Didone serif typefaces.
History
The Dead history typeface was designed in 1990 by
P. Scott Makela and is licensed by
Emigre. While Makela studied in the design program at Cranbook, he used a digital process to create Dead History as opposed to
Phototypesetting
Phototypesetting is a method of setting type. It uses photography to make columns of type on a scroll of photographic paper.
It has been made obsolete by the popularity of the personal computer and desktop publishing (digital typesetting).
Th ...
. With his computer, he combined elements of both the
VAG Rounded
''VAG Rundschrift'' or VAG Rounded (''Rundschrift'' is German for 'round typeface', short of ''abgerundete Schrift'', 'rounded typeface') is a geometric sans-serif typeface that was designed as a corporate typographic voice for the Volkswagen AG m ...
and
Bell Centennial
Bell Centennial is a sans-serif typeface in the industrial or grotesque style designed by Matthew Carter in the period 1975–1978. The typeface was commissioned by AT&T as a proprietary type to replace their then current directory typeface B ...
to create Dead History. The typeface went through a few more edits before being licensed by Emigre in 1994. In 2011, The Museum of Modern Art in New York added Dead History to its architecture and design collection.
Characteristics
Dead History’s strokes transition from unbracketed serifs and contrasting stroke width on the left side of characters to a mono-weighted sans-serif with soft, rounded terminals on the right. This typeface is most often associated with postmodern ideals from the time.
References
*Friedl, Frederich, Nicholas Ott and Bernard Stein. ''Typography: An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Through History.'' Black Dog & Leventhal: 1998. .
*Macmillan, Neil. ''An A–Z of Type Designers.'' Yale University Press: 2006. {{ISBN, 0-300-11151-7.
External links
Emigre's web page for Dead HistoryFontFont web page for FF Fudoni
Emigre typefaces
Semi-serif typefaces
Typefaces and fonts introduced in 1990
Display typefaces