Helvetica Type Specimen : 12 Varieties [D. Stempel, Amsterdam Continental Types]

Helvetica, 1967. D. Stempel AG, Typefoundry, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. 8.25 x 8.625, pp. 28 with stapled glossy covers. Printed in Germany.

Helvetica stapled specimen provided for importers and markets in the U.S. and Canada: Amsterdam Continental Types Inc. (New York, Chicago and Burbank) with Linotype matrices available from Mergenthaler Linotype Company (Brooklyn, NY). With the original paper announcement promoting the specimen ... “One fact remains undebatable ... the good ones [sans-serifs] are here to stay.”

From the informative introduction by an unknown author: “The first series in the Helvetica family was presented to the American graphic arts community in 1963, and it rapidly achieved a popularity paralleling its European acceptance.” And “The formal, functional and technical qualities of Helvetica have conjoined to make it one of those typefaces which outlast time and style.”

Featuring twelve varieties: Light, Regular, Regular Italic, Medium, Bold, Bold Compact Italic, Regular Extended, Bold Extended, Extra Bold Extended, Regular Condensed, Bold Condensed and Extra Bold Condensed.

Very good plus with light handling and a slight bend to the corners. The iconic cover and announcement have been darkened along the margins from exposure to light. Interior clean and unmarked. Hard-to-find.