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Lucian Bernhard

Vienna-born type designer who lived from 1883-1972, and whose real name was Emil Kahn. He died in New York, where he lived most of his life. He studied at the Munich Academy, which became a center of poster design. In 1910 he co-founded the magazine Das Plakat. During WWI he designed posters for the German War effort. In 1920 he was appointed as the first professor of poster design at The Akedemie der Kunst, Berlin. He moved to New York in 1923 and continued his poster work. He also continued his teaching at the Art Students League and at New York University. Short biography of Lucian Bernhard. Biography. MyFonts link. His typefaces:

• Bernhard and especially Bernhard Modern (1937) are gorgeous high-legged typefaces. Bernhard Modern is used in classy magazines for ads, and adds a touch of style to many documents or presentations.
• Aigrette (1939).
• Lucian (1925, Bauersche Giesserei). I have also seen the date 1932. See also the digital version by Tilde, 1990. Lucian is very close in spirit to Bernhard Modern. As far as digital versions go, one can check out the Font Bureau contribution from 1990 by Kelly Ehrgott Milligan and David Berlow called Belucian, which comes in several weights, including Demi and Ultra. There are many other ones as well, such as Bernhard Modern FS (2011, Sean Cavanaugh).
• Lilith [or Lilli] (1930, Bauersche Giesserei).
• Bernhard Antiqua (1912, Flinsch). This is the titling typeface on my own web site! For a handcrafted revival in 2016 by Pintassilgo Prints, see Botanique.
• Bernhard Brush Script (Bauersche Giesserei, 1926).
• Madonna Ronde (1925: this is the Stephenson Blake name, after it acquired this typeface from Bauersche Giesserei).
• Bernhard Cursive (Bauersche Giesserei, 1925). Didgeree Doodle NF (2006, Nick Curtis) is a curly cursive originally released as Bernhard Heavy Antique Cursive by the Bauersche Giesserei.
• Bernhard Fraktur (+Extrafette; +Initialen) (1912, Flinsch; 1922, Bauersche Giesserei). The sublist of typefaces and dates: Bernhard Fraktur schmalfett, Bernhard Fraktur fett, Bernhard Fraktur extrafett (1921), Bernhard Kursiv extrafett (1927), Bernhard Antiqua extrafett (1924), Bernhard Antiqua zart (1925), Bernhard Antiqua Kursiv zart, Bernhard Handschrift (1928), Bernhard Schönschrift (1925), Bernhard Schönschrift kräftig (1928). Extrafette Bernhard Fraktur was revived in 2013 by Christoph Schwedhelm and in 2016 by Ralph M. Unger as Bernhard Blackletter.
• Bernhard Privat (also called Flinsch-Privat, 1919; Flinsch, Bauersche Giesserei).
• The Reklameschrift Bernhard Block.
• Bernhard Schönschrift (1925; see EF Bernhard Schonschrift). A free interpretation is Reliant (2010, Iza W and Dmitrij Greshnev).
• Bernhard Fashion (1929). This has been digitized by many, including SoftMaker (as Bernhard Fashion, in 2010), Peter Wiegel (as the free font family Bernardo Moda (2014)), by Infinitype, and by Bitstream (as Bernhard Fashion BT in 1990). It has been extended and played with, like for example, in Nick Curtis's Quoi Chou NF (2006) and in Peter Wiegel's Bernardo Moda Contrast (2014). Poster by Merle Perle.
• Bernhard Gothic (1929, ATF; see Bernhard Gothic SG by Spiece Graphics, Bernhard Gothic Medium (2017, Jordan Davies), or Samosata NF by Nick Curtis in 2009). Mac McGrew writes: Bernhard Gothic was one of the first contemporary American sans-serifs, designed in 1929-30 by Lucian Bernhard for ATF to counter the importation of the new European designs such as Futura and Kabel. It features long ascenders and a number of unusual design details, which perhaps prevented it from achieving the popularity of other such typefaces. Capitals are low-waisted, with the crossbars or arms of E, F, and H being below center. M is widely splayed in some weights. Lowercase a is roman in design, and the cross-stroke of t is wide and below the mean line. All but the Title versions have a number of alternate characters, later discontinued. The comma, semicolon and apostrophe, usually comparable, have three different forms. Bernhard Gothic was made only by ATF, but some weights could be simulated with special characters of Monotype Sans-Serif and Ludlow Tempo. The Title versions, several sizes of caps on each body in the manner of Copperplate Gothics, were added in 1936, and copied by Intertype as Greeting Gothic. Around 1938 Bernhard Gothic Medium Condensed was added.
• Bernhard Tango (1933, ATF). Bernhard Tango was imitated by Corel (Ballroom Tango), SSi (Petticoat), Greenstreet (Felicita) and Agfa (Carmine Tango).
• He also did a Magnetype font series that has been left untouched. Jonahfonts is the first to start reviving this series. In 2010, Bernhard's Community Low and Community Condensed started their digital life as Harpsichord (Jonah Fonts).
• According to Font Bureau, Bernhard also did an art deco display sans series in the 1930s, which David Berlow and Jonathan Corum at Font Bureau revived as Eagle from 1989-1994.
• Lucian lettered a concert program in the 1920, which was used by Jim Spiece in 2002 to create the elegant rounded sans display typeface Concerto Rounded.
• Lucian Bernhard's award-winning poster, Priester (1906), had angular lettering. Jonahfonts did LB Priester in 2009 based on it. In 2018, Ivan Moreno published anotherr extension, Presta.
• In the Bitstream collection, we find Bernhard Bold, with unknown origins. However, I have this rare 2002 public statement by John Warnock, Adobe's founder, in reaction to a question by M. Johansson (What happened to the Lo-Type font in Adobe Font Folio? It was included with Font Folio 8 but it's not in Font Folio 9. In Font Folio 9 there's Bernhard Bold Condensed, which is a reasonable replacement. I'm just wondering if anyone knows why Lo-Type was dropped; I prefer it myself.): Cuz LoType is a Berthold Type font and Adobe and Berthold had a lovers quarrel. A ton of Bertie's in FF8, no Bertie typefaces at all on FF9. Bye-bye Bertie. Love, J. Warnock.
• Lucian's small two-tiered logo with the letters BERN HARD led John Nahmias to extend it to Bernhard Signature (2019).

Posters by Bernhard: An advertising exhibition in 1929 (with Fritz Rosen), Manoli Cigarettes (1912).

Linotype link. FontShop link. Klingspor link.

View Lucian Bernhard's typefaces. Showcasing the digital legacy of Lucian Bernhard.

EXTERNAL LINKS
Lucian Bernhard
 [Designer info]
Monotype link
Dafont page
Klingspor Museum page
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INTERNAL LINKS
Type designers ⦿ Type designers ⦿ Blackletter fonts ⦿ German type scene ⦿ Type in Austria ⦿ Type scene in New York ⦿ Brush script typefaces ⦿ Nick Curtis ⦿ Copperplate ⦿ Curly typefaces ⦿