French Antique

10 Line

Box 034

Antique | Egyptian | Uppercase, Lowercase & Figures

  • This type measures 10 line in size and was produced with the end-cut method. The type block does not have a manufacturer’s stamp.
  • This face was first shown as wood type by William H. Page in James Conner’s Sons Typographic Messenger, Vol.4 No.4 (July, 1869).
  • This cut of French Antique was shown in American Wood Type on page 255 and in the folio on page 8.

Type name used by manufacturer:
Hamilton French Antique or No 55
Morgans & Wilcox French Antique [3000]
National Printers’ Materials French Clarendon Condensed
Page French Antique [4055]
Tubbs French Antique or No 2031
Wells French Antique [5000]

This is the Morgan & Wilcox cut.

Kelly notes that this is a peculiarly American interpretation of French Antique, more condensed and different serif/body ratio than European variants.

simple specimen of French Antique wood type from the Rob Roy Kelly collection, printed in the UT Design Lab

Character Quantities

  • A
    4
  • B
    3
  • C
    3
  • D
    3
  • E
    5
  • F
    3
  • G
    3
  • H
    3
  • I
    4
  • J
    3
  • K
    2
  • L
    5
  • M
    3
  • N
    4
  • O
    6
  • P
    3
  • Q
    2
  • R
    4
  • S
    5
  • T
    3
  • U
    3
  • V
    3
  • W
    3
  • X
    2
  • Y
    3
  • Z
    2
  • a
    4
  • b
    1
  • c
    3
  • d
    2
  • e
    5
  • f
    3
  • g
    3
  • h
    3
  • i
    6
  • j
    2
  • k
    2
  • l
    5
  • m
    3
  • n
    4
  • o
    4
  • p
    3
  • q
    2
  • r
    5
  • s
    5
  • t
    4
  • u
    3
  • v
    3
  • w
    3
  • x
    2
  • y
    3
  • z
    2
  • 0
    1
  • 1
    3
  • 2
    3
  • 3
    2
  • 4
    2
  • 5
    2
  • 6
    2
  • 7
    2
  • 8
    2
  • 9
    2
  • &
    2
  • $
    2
  • !
    5
  • Open Apos/Comma
    4
  • Close Apos
    3
  • Period
    4
  • Question Mark
    -
  • Colon
    2
  • Semi-Colon
    2
  • Dash
    -
  • Ligature
    -
  • Other
    -

Additional Specimens & Other Content

antique original wood type specimen catalog from wood type manufacturers in the 1800s featuring French Antique type

Typographic Messenger,vol. 4, no. 4 (July 1869); Graphic Arts Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.

French Antique specimen book page from American Wood Type 1828-1900 by Rob Roy Kelly

French Antique, page 255, American Wood Type 1828–1900, Rob Roy Kelly (1969)