Goudy, Frederic William

Goudy, Frederic William (gou`dē), 1865–1947, American type designer, b. Bloomington, Ill. Goudy is celebrated as one of the finest and most prolific type designers in history. In 1905, Goudy established his first press, which he moved to New York City the next year. His wife, Bertha M. Sprinks Goudy, acted as typesetter. Kennerley, Deepdene, Garamont, and Forum are a few of his more than 100 typefaces. About 75 of his designs were destroyed when his plant burned down in 1939. Goudy is the author of The Alphabet (1918), Elements of Lettering (1922), and Typologia (1940).

Bibliography

See his Half Century of Type Design and Typography, 1895–1945 (1947).

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Goudy, Frederic William (1865–1947) type designer, printer; born in Bloomington, Ill. After learning the printing trade in small shops and working as an accounting clerk in a Chicago bookstore, Goudy devoted himself to typography. His first venture, Camelot Press, soon failed; a second, Village Press, was suspended after a 1908 fire, but revived after World War I and a second fire in 1939. Goudy designed many popular typefaces, including one that bears his name. His books include A Half Century of Type Design and Typography (1946).