At the beginning of the 1920s, Monotype entered a period of achievement that, today, is seen as one of the most important in modern typographic history. It was during this time that, under the direction of Stanley Morison, Monotype developed what was to become the foundation of its current library. This included new designs, such as Gill Sans, Perpetua and Romulus, and revivals of typefaces lost for centuries. Bembo was one of the designs in this latter group.
The history of Bembo originates in Venice, an important typographic center in 15th and 16th century Europe. Many printers established businesses in Venice at this time, but none so significant as Aldus Manutius. Next to Gutenberg, Aldus was perhaps the most influential printer of the Renaissance and the first of many great scholar-printers. Late in the 15th century, Aldus published a relatively insignificant essay by the Italian scholar Pietro Bembo. The type used for the text was a new design commissioned by Aldus and cut by Francesco Griffo, a goldsmith-turned-punchcutter.
Griffo’s design was lighter and more harmonious in weight than earlier romans. Text set in the face was also more inviting and easier to read than previous designs. Three years later, the basic font was enhanced by the introduction of a suite of corresponding capital letters. (Capitals were pulled from other fonts prior to the release of these new designs.)
The typeface, which was modestly launched in a 60-page favor to a friend and became eminently popular in Italy, soon found its way into France. Here the design came to the attention of Claude Garamond, the famous French type founder, and through his efforts to duplicate it the design eventually spread its influence to Germany, Holland and the rest of Europe. The Aldine roman, as it came to be known, became the foundation of new typeface designs for hundreds of years.
In the early part of this century, the designers in the Monotype drawing office used antique books and specimen material set with Aldus’ original fonts as the foundation for their revival of the Bembo type. The italic proved to be a significant challenge. Aldus’ Bembo had no italic designs, so the Monotype design staff created a new italic based on the works of Giovanni Tagliente, a 16th century writing master.
In the 1980s, Monotype produced a faithful digital rendition of their original metal revival. The staff designers also added Semi Bold and Extra Bold weights to the family. As a result, this exceptionally important and wonderfully powerful communication tool is available as PostScript, TrueType and fully functional OpenType fonts. Today, a 500-year legacy of great typeface design continues. Bembo is a true classic–and a typographic gem.