Font Activations: A Note on the Type

In the colophon of the mass-market, pocket-paperback copy of Georges Lefebvre’s The Coming of the French Revolution that I’ve been reading for no particular reason appears the note on the type pictured above. In case you are like me and you don’t allow images to display in the emails you receive, it reads like this: The text of this book was set in Electra, a linotype face designed by W.A. Dwiggins. This face cannot be classified as modern or old-style. It is not based on any historical model, nor does it echo any particular period or style. It avoids the extreme contrast between thick and thin elements that marks most modern faces, and attempts to give a feeling of fluidity, power, and speed. Composed, printed, and bound by THE COLONIAL PRESS INC., Clinton, Massachusetts. Paper manufactured by S.D. WARREN COMPANY, Boston, Massachusetts. Cover design by BEN SHAHN. Who is this text for? It appears just below the author’s bio, as if any curious reader might want more information not me ... Read full article.