Gothic Tuscan

5 Line

Box 138

Gothic | Tuscan | Uppercase & Figures

  • This type measures 5 line in size and was produced with the end-cut method. The type block is stamped Vanderburgh, Wells & Co., New York which was used by Wells and Vanderburgh between 1867–1890.
  • This face was first shown as wood type by William H. Page in James Conner’s Sons Typographic Messenger, Vol.2 No.1 (November, 1866).
  • This cut of Gothic Tuscan was shown in American Wood Type on page 308 and in the folio on page 32.

Type name used by manufacturer:
Hamilton Gothic Tuscan or No 185
Morgans & Wilcox Gothic Tuscan [3088]
Page Gothic Tuscan [4185]
Tubbs Gothic Tuscan or No 2136
Wells Gothic Tuscan or No 661 [5096]

This is the Wells cut.

Kelly noted that the Gothic Tuscan style was first shown in the lighter and more condensed style by Bill, Stark & Co. in their 1853 specimen. Though it seems almost all manufacturers named the style Gothic Tuscan, Kelly referred to this style, more descriptively as Concave Tuscan.

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

Character Quantities

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

Additional Specimens & Other Content

antique original wood type specimen catalog from wood type manufacturers in the 1800s featuring Gothic Tuscan type

Typographic Messenger, vol. 2, no. 1 (1866); Graphic Arts Collection, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library

Gothic Tuscan specimen book page from American Wood Type 1828-1900 by Rob Roy Kelly

Gothic Tuscan, page 308, American Wood Type 1828–1900, Rob Roy Kelly (1969)