Robert Wiebking
Robert Wiebking (1870–1927) was a German-American engraver typeface designer who was known for cutting type matrices for Frederic Goudy from 1911 to 1926. Life and career Robert Wiebking was born in Schwelm, Germany in 1870, he emigrated to Chicago in 1881 where his father worked as an engraver for many companies, including the Marder, Luse, & Co. type foundry. In 1884, Wiebking began working for C. H. Hanson, an engraving company. By 1893 he was in business for himself, cutting type matrices for both the Crescent and Independent Type Foundries. In 1900, with H. H. Hardinge, he formed ‘‘Wiebking, Hardinge & Company’’ which ran the Advance Type Foundry. In 1914 the partnership was dissolved and Advance merged with the Western Type Foundry. After Western Foundry merged into Barnhart Brothers & Spindler, Wiebking began working once again for himself. He then designed type and cut matrices for many foundries and, from 1911 to 1926 (with a few exceptions) he cut all of the matrices for Frederic Goudy's designs were cut by Wiebking. He taught both Goudy and R. Hunter Middleton how to cut matrices. Typefaces Typefaces designed by Wiebking World Gothic series, a series in name only, as three only marginally similar faces were brought together under one heading as a marketing ploy to compete with ATF's Globe Gothic. World Gothic (BB&S), originally Wesel. World Gothic Condensed (1897 BB&S), originally Tropic [No. 5]. World Gothic Italic (1897 BB&S), originally named Dewey [No. 5] in honor of Admiral Dewey. Engravers Roman + Bold (1899, BB&S, later ATF. Typo Script (1902, ATF), later known as Tiffany Script. Usually credited to Morris Fuller Benton, but attributed to Wiebking by R. Hunter Middleton. Steelplate Gothic series a knock-off of Goudy's Copperplate Gothic, they were originally cut for Western Type Foundry under various names, and then renamed when that foundry was bought out by Barnhart Brothers & Spindler. When BB&S was in turn bought out by American Type Founders (owners of the original Copperplate) most of the line was dropped. Farley (1907, Western Type Foundry), later renamed Steelplate Gothic Extra Light Extended by BB&S and later ATF. Perry (Western Type Foundry), later renamed Steelplate Gothic Heavy Extended by BB&S and later ATF. Perry Italic (Western Type Foundry), later renamed Steelplate Gothic Italic by BB&S and later ATF. Steelplate Gothic Extra Light + Steelplate Gothic Light + Steelplate Gothic Light Condensed + Steelplate Gothic Heavy + Steelplate Gothic Heavy Condensed + Steelplate Gothic Bold ( Western Type Foundry, later BB&S, still later ATF)Steelplate Gothic Shaded (1918, BB&S later ATF), known in England as Spartan Outline. Artcraft series Craftsman (1912, Advance Type Foundry) When Advance was taken over by Western Type Foundry, the face was renamed Art-Craft. This was shortened to one name, Artcraft, when Western was taken over by Barnhart Brothers & Spindler. The line was retained by American Type Founders when, in turn, it bought out BB&S. Artcraft Italic (1912, Western Type Foundry), later BB&S still later ATF) Artcraft Bold (1913, Western Type Foundry), later BB&S