Friday 1 July 2022

Richard Gans, Catalogo general de tipos

GANS (Richard) [Fundicion tipografica] Catalogo general de tipos. Madrid-Barcelona, n.d. [c.1964]. 8vo. 24 cm. Pp. [viii], 48, 16, 49-130, 8, 132-62, 8, 163-226, 16, 227-345. With a small sheaf of supplementary sheets, wire-stitched. Orig. semi-stiff plastic cover with title 'Tipos Gans'. Excellent. S16. SOLD

Apparently the last substantial catalogue from this firm founded in the 1880s and closed in 1975. From the 1920s on it originated a number of new type designs, some of which were marketed in the Anglo-Saxon world, others only in Spain and Latin America. There is a short history in Spanish, drawing on the firm's archives, by J.R.P.Rodriguez & D.G.Moreno, 'Fundicion tipografica Richard Gans. Historia y actividad 1881-1975 (Valencia, 2004), available online as a pdf. A striking type specimen, notable for its bold use of colour and distinctive Latin quality, combining vividly modern with traditional elements.