The catalog entitled Spécimen de caractères en bois de la maison Bonnet probably dates from the 1860s — a period when Romantic phantas-ma-goria was on the decline in the structure of the letter but still prevalent in its outlines; type design was beginning to borrow from the architectural eclecticism of the age, and sometimes resembled wrought ironwork. In addition to dated products, series of surprisingly “modern” types were developed that could, somewhat ironically, be compared with those generated by the “new” digital typography.
The republication of this catalog demonstrates that letters, like buildings, incarnate the spirit of an age, while preserving a timeless quality that constitutes a lasting source of inspiration.
