Giambattista Bodoni was born at Saluzzo in Piedmont in 1740, and died in 1813. He was an Italian engraver, publisher, printer and typographer. Bodoni is an important part of typographical history. He invented the modern typeface, and lived a life dedicated to creating beautiful type work. He was so talented, he worked for kings, Dukes and even had a part in early American typography, his skill was known internationally. People from all over the world sought to collect his work, he was a master of typography and created epic works which included hundreds of typefaces in many languages and styles. His influence is still being felt today with many typefaces inspired by him. His works were very precise and pleasing to the eye, with technical refinement and all carved by his own hands. His most mentionable works are his folio editions of Horace (1791), Vergil (1793), The Divine Comedy (1795), and Homer (1808). This is why I think he is on our list; he is a big part of the history of typeface design and typography, especially during a pivotal time period, where there were so many other influential typographers like William Caslon, and John Baskerville who Bodoni admired. Bodoni said “The letters don’t get their true delight, when done in haste & discomfort, nor merely done with diligence & pain, but first when they are created with love and passion.”
Both his father, and grandfather worked as a printers, his father owned his own printing establishment, at one time he worked for the Vatican. As a young boy, he learned to engrave wood. When he was barely 18 he went to Rome, there he did vocational study at the Sacra Congregazione di Propaganda Fide, which was one of the most significant European printing studios at the time. There is where he learned how to draw and engrave type, the art of typesetting and printing, and the essentials of paper making. And there, he also printed his first two books: an Arabic-Coptic missal and the Tibetan alphabet when he was only 22. He learned the fundamentals of some oriental languages at the Collegio della Sapienza. There he is given the task of rearranging the oriental typeface punches which were cut two hundred years before by Garamond and other French type cutters and designers. These typefaces had fallen into disorder. This time he spent in Rome was a significant point in Bodoni’s later interest in oriental scripts. In 1759, he produced woodcuts for the first printed dictionary and grammar of the Tibetan language, Alphabetum Tibetanum Missionum Aposticarum Commodo Editum, of Father Agostino Giorgi, professor of oriental languages at La Sapienza university.
In 1766, he moved from Rome to London, a place where typography is experiencing a new start with works from William Caslon, and John Baskerville, who both died that year. William Caslon is most likely best known for his extremely well known type which was used in the Declaration of independence, and John Baskerville is responsible for the transitional typeface, a face that is in between the Old Style and the Modern Style. This is very important to Bodoni's typeface history; he admired Baskerville, which helped in the creation of the Modern typeface. He does not end up making it to his destination in London on account of a bout with malaria, he returned home to Saluzzo Italy to take care of himself. In 1768, a great chance came Bodoni's way, Don Ferdinand, the soon to be Duke of Parma established a printing house, Stamperia Reale, modeled after the ones in Paris, and Milan Bodoni was 28. Noticing Bodoni’s potential Ferdinand Placed Bodoni at the head of this printing house, which thanks in part to him, became the first of its kind in Europe. Bodoni's two brothers were also employed there as a typesetter and pressman. This would be where Bodoni’s rise to the top began. He creates beautiful works, elegant page layouts which gained immediate popularity. He works with the court architect Ennemond Alexandre Petitot and engraver Benigne Bossi on many publications. Bodoni starts mold types in his own work shop.
In 1771, he does not accept an invitation to run the Regia Stamperia of Milan, and in 1772 he was in put charge of printing the newspaper Gazzetta di Parma beginning with the August issue. He prints the book Versi scioti e rimanti di Dorillo Dafino with Bossi’s engravings. In 1775, Bodoni publishes his first work of genius, Epithalamia exotics linguis reddita, which is made up of twenty-five inscriptions in exotic characters. He did this in honor of the Prince of Piedmont Carlo Emanuele’s recent marriage to Maria Adelaide of France. Bodoni’s father dies in 1776 in Saluzzo Italy. In 1782 King Carlos III of Spain bestows upon Bodoni the title of Tipografo di Camera. Bodoni prints Essai de caracteres Russes graves et fondus par Jean Baptiste Bodini, for the visiting emperor Paul I of Russia. At this time Bodini receives a large number of orders for his types from both German and Italian printing shops, his popularity was growing internationally. In 1784, Bodoni creates books for the visiting king of Sweden, and the King of Naples. In 1786-1787, a group of bibliophiles sponsors the masterpiece Gli amori pastorali di Dafni e di cloe di Longo Sofista. He is congratulated by literary scholars for his work, and he is invited to establish a royal printing house in Madrid once again, but denies the offer. Benjamin Franklin praises him for his types and he uses them in a letter from Philadelphia postmarked 1787. All of Bodoni's works are being used for the most Aristocratic people at this time. His works are requested upon by Dukes, Kings and people of prestige, and he is praised by some of the most highest ranked citizens.
In 1788 Bodoni published the Manuale Tipografico, ("The Inventory of Types") it featured one-hundred typefaces, fifty italics, and twenty eight Greeks. The typeface he used then was later named after him, it is now called Bodoni. His typefaces were new and well-designed; they had stroke widths that went from thick to hairline thin. The serifs were flat with no brackets and his compositions were clean, this was something that had not been seen before.
His work takes him to Naples, Florence, Bologna, and Rome where he is awarded for his editorial activity by Pope Pius IV. Bodoni receives an invitation from the Knight if Azar to spend some time as his guest in Rome to publish an entire series of classical works. The Duke of Parma did not agree with his possible going away and gives him the chance to set up his own personal workshop inside the Palazzo Reale. Here is the place where Bodoni created his finest and most personal productions. Luigi Orsi becomes the head typographer for Bodoni's new private workshop an overall 12 people are employed, while the Regia Stamperia has 20.
In 1791, Bodoni weds Margherita Dall’Aglio, he was 50 years old and she was 30. In 1799, Pierre Didot of the dynasty of French printers attacked Bodoni; he blamed him for the mistakes in the texts of his editions, he felt that his works were superior to Bodoni’s. Pope Pius VII sends a challenge to Bodoni to do better than the French edition of the Oratio Domitica by Marcel. In 1806, Bodoni enters fourteen of his editions in the International Exposition in Paris, and they all win the prestigious first prize. In 1808, a typographical piece of art is created when Bodoni publishes the three folio volume Greek Iliad. A folio is a book made a large size which was just the thing for Bodoni to display his work elegant typefaces.
In 1813, Bodoni is affected by an extended illness which leads to the closing of the Stamperia Reale. After a life dedicated to the art of typography the man who is often called the "father of modern typefaces" Giambattista Bodoni passes away at the age of 73, in Parma on November 30th. The Duomo cathedral publicly announced his death through the ringing a large bell reserved only for illustrious personalities, and special occasions. He left behind his wife and an unfinished masterpiece, and other typographical projects. Bodoni’s widow and shop foreman Luigi Orsi, went on to print the Manuale Tipografico in two volumes, which is a synthesis of Bodoni's work, in 1818. Manuale Tipografico features: Roman Italic, Greek, Gothic, Asian and Russian Fonts, lines borders, symbols, numbers, and musical notations. They later added 200 more works to Bodoni's collection of over 1200 things he had printed during his eventful life. In 1872, a Carrara marble monument was unveiled in Saluzzo in memory of Giambattista Bodoni, and The Bodoni Museum, named for the typographer, was opened in Parma in 1963. It is completely dedicated to Bodoni's work; it includes blocks, master copies, punches, original dies, manuscripts and tools as well. The most valuable item is one of his greatest achievements, the book the Greek Iliad from 1808. Bodoni’s work is still cherished today.
Bodoni designed: Bodoni Stencil, Linotype Gianotten, Bauer Bodoni, ITC Bodoni Six, Bodoni Classico, ITC Bodoni Twelve, LTC Bodoni 26, and ITC Bodoni Seventy-Two. All these fonts are modern style. Bodoni created this style and spent his life working with it. Some distinguishing characteristics are the varying stroke widths; this increased contrast was more extreme than any other typeface before, the lines go from a thick width to a hairline. Unbracketed serifs were sleek and new. In addition, his types had a smaller x-height. The axis on Bodoni Typefaces is vertical
Since his types were all metal, their do not seem to be any exact digital replicas. There are many Bodoni inspired typefaces including, Bodoni Poster, Bodoni Poster Compressed, ITC Bodoni Seventy-Two, ITC Bodoni Seventy-Two (EF), ITC Bodoni Six, ITC Bodoni Six (EF), Bodoni TS, ITC Bodoni Twelve, ITC Bodoni Twelve (EF), Linotype Gianotten, ATF Bodoni, EF Bauer Bodoni, Bauer Bodoni, Bauer Bodoni (BT), Bauer Bodoni (URW), EF Bodoni, Bodoni, Bodoni Antiqua, Bodoni Classico,ITC Bodoni Ornaments. Morris Fuller Benton´s designed the Bodoni family for American Type Founders in 1907; it is a revival of Gaimibattista Bodoni's original 1786 design. The Bauer Bodoni font family was designed by Henrich Jost in 1926. ITC Bodoni is the most accurate, researched, and carefully constructed interpretations of Bodoni's typeface ever attemped. Bodoni’s 1818 Manuale Tipografico was used for accuracy, and the design team responsible made a trip to Parma to study his work first hand. Each variation emphisizes a different characteristic of Bodoni's typefaces.
In 1770 is when Bodoni printed some of his best works, I am not quite sure exactly when he created his signature typeface.
Some things that happened in 1770 Boston Massacre, Fourteen-year-old Marie Antoinette arrives at the French court.
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