Chicago. 1873-1911/1929. Founded as the Great Western Type Foundry. Bought by ATF in 1911, but operated until 1929.
In The Inland Printer (1892)
Anon. "One of the Finest and Largest Typecasting Foundries in the World." The Inland Printer. Vol. 9, No. 8 (May 1892):
Digitized by Google from the University of Minnesota and University of Michigan copies and available via The Hathi Trust (Hathi IDs: umn.31951001898736e and mdp.39015086781179). The UMN scans are of better quality than the UM (mdp) scans, but the UMN copy was bound without its covers. The icons here links to PDFs assembled from Hathi page images (first UMN, second UM).
Richard N. McArthur joined in 1916. Commissioned several new faces. Responsible for the revival of many 19th century faces, from original BB&S matrices but often under new names, in the 1925 BB&S Catalog No. 25. See Eckman, James. The Heritage of the Printer, Vol. 1 (Philadelphia, PA: North American Publishing Co., 1965): 119-123.
1893. Pony Specimen Book
[Great Western Type Foundry] Pony Specimen Book and Price List from Barnhart Bros. & Spindler . (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1893-4.)
A scan of the NYPL copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: nyp.33433006348530) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (198 Megabytes): bbs-1893-pony-specimen-book-hathi-nyp-33433006348530-png.pdf
1893? Pony Specimen Book
[Great Western Type Foundry] Pony Specimen Book and Price List from Barnhart Bros. & Spindler . (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, [n.d.]) This volume is undated. It has been cataloged as 1893 by the Silver Buckle Press, but the only evidence of a date in it (that I found in a brief perusal, at least) is an early inscription declaring it to have been received in 1897.
The Silver Buckle Press at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has digitized this volume from their collection: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/SilverBuckle.PonySpecimen
1896. Barnharts Big Blue Book
Barnharts [sic] Big Blue Book Containing Specimens of Superior Copper-Mixed Type, Borders, Ornaments, Rule, Etc. (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, ca. 1896.) The Hathi/University of California catalog record for this volume dates it to "189?" (the original UC catalog record was Z250.B27 1890), but Annenberg, in Type Foundries of America and their Catalogs dates it circa 1896.
A scan of a University of California copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: uc1.31822038209771) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (354 Megabytes): bbs-1890-big-blue-book-hathi-uc1-31822038209771-png.pdf
1899. Souvenir
Souvenir 1899 (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1899.) A collection of showings ("inscribe to the one who loves harmony in color and the symphonious click of metal type") rather than a specimen book. Imperfectly scanned.
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015038023241) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (138 Megabytes): bbs-1899-souvenir-hathi-mdp-39015038023241-png.pdf
1900. [Specimen Book]
Specimen Book of Type [The title page of the UM/Google/Hathi copy is missing; this title is from the Silver Buckle/UW copy] (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1900.) This volume may be complete at the University of Michigan, but it has clearly been scanned imperfectly and is missing some front matter. The date (1900) is from the catalog record.
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015077072927) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (707 Megabytes): bbs-1900-specimen-book-hathi-mdp-39015077072927-png.pdf
The Silver Buckle Press at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, has also digitized this volume from their collection. Their digitization is far nicer than the Google/Hathi one: http://digital.library.wisc.edu/1711.dl/SilverBuckle.TypeBook
1900. Vogue Ornaments
Vogue Ornaments (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1900.)
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015038424837) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (133 Megabytes): bbs-1900-vogue-ornaments-hathi-mdp-39015038424837-png.pdf
1900. Brass Rule
Brass Rule. (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1900.)
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015038029206) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (22 Megabytes): bbs-1900-brass-rule-hathi-mdp-39015038029206-png.pdf
1900. Chases: Electric-Welded
Chases: Electric-Welded. (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1900.) Note: This volume is filed under the title "Barnhart's Specialities for the Printing Office" in the Univ. of Michigan catalog; perhaps it was one of a series under that general title? This is not a type specimen book, but rather a printing equipment brochure and catalog advertising chases.
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015038424951) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (31 Megabytes): bbs-1900-specialties-for-printing-offices-mdp-39015038424951-png.pdf
1901. Big Blue Book
Barnharts Big Blue Book Containing Specimens of Superior Copper-Mixed Type. (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1901.)
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015032029293) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF ( Megabytes): bbs-1901-big-blue-book-hathi-mdp-39015032029293-png.pdf
1901. Authors Type Family
Authors Type Family. (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1901.) Authors Roman. Authors Roman Condensed. Authors Roman Bold Condensed. Authors Roman Wide. Authors Roman Bold. Authors Roman Italic. Authors Old Style. Authors Old Style Italic. Authors Old Style Italic Bold.
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015038029180) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF (31 Megabytes): bbs-1901-authors-type-family-hathi-mdp-39015038029180-png.pdf
1907. Specimen Book No. 9
Book of Type Specimens. ["Specimen Book No. 9"] (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1907.) This book was published in several slightly different editions, designated by zero, one, two, or three asterisks after the number. This edition is the zero-asterisk "Specimen Book No. 9" containing pages numbered through 1,020.
A scan of the University of Michigan copy of this book is available through The Hathi Trust (ID: mdp.39015019203291) as single-page images. The icon here links to a version of that digitization that I have assembled from the images and uploaded to The Internet Archive.
Here is a local copy of the PDF. You almost certainly don't want to download it, unless you have a fast net connection, as it is 880 Megabytes: bbs-1907-book-of-type-specimens-hathi-mdp-39015019203291-png.pdf
1907. Specimen Book No. 9**
Book of Type Specimens. ["Specimen Book No. 9**"] (Chicago: Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, 1907.) This book was published in several slightly different editions, designated by zero, one, two, or three asterisks after the number. This edition is the two-asterisk "Specimen Book No. 9**" containing pages numbered through 1,000.A digital version of this book done from a University of California copy, including the original page scans, is available at The Internet Archive; the link at left goes there. Here is a local copy of the PDF version and the (nicer) DjVu version.
All of the specimen books reproduced here or from which images are reproduced here are in the public domain. Any material from them reproduced here remains in the public domain.
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