The University of California Old Style, the basis for ITC Berkeley Oldstyle, was one of Frederic Goudy’s favorite designs. In 1937, a friend asked Goudy if he would consider drawing a face for the exclusive use of the University of California Press at Berkeley. Goudy accepted the task gladly. The resulting University of California Old Style fonts remained the property of the university press and, unfortunately for the graphic design community, saw little use elsewhere for over a decade.
In 1956, Lanston Monotype purchased the rights to the design from the University and released the face as a Monotype font in metal type. However, when Monotype began to manufacture phototypesetting equipment several years later, the face was not upgraded to the new technology. Once again, Goudy’s design fell into obscurity.
In the early 1980s, ITC began to gather specimens to be used as the basis for an eventual revival of Goudy’s University of California Old Style design. Photo enlargements were made from the metal type specimens, but the revival remained on the back burner. Then, when a type designer was late in delivering artwork for another project, ITC was suddenly left with a blank space in its typeface release schedule. The open slot was almost a year away – just enough time (if suitable photo enlargements were already available, which they were) for an accomplished designer to create a revival typeface design. Aaron Burns, then president of ITC, called Tony Stan and asked if he would be willing to take the assignment. In addition to being a world-class type designer, Stan knew a great design project when he saw it, and he accepted the opportunity with delight.
ITC Berkeley Oldstyle possesses the flavor and dynamics of Goudy’s original University of California Old Style without being a slavish copy. In fact, there are nods to several other Goudy designs in ITC Berkeley Oldstyle: Kennerly, Goudy Oldstyle, Deepdene, and even a hint of Booklet Oldstyle. The design is characterized by its calligraphic weight stress, smooth weight transitions, and classic (read: smaller than most other ITC designs of the period) x-height. These traits, in addition to the ample ascenders and descenders, result in high levels of character legibility and a text color that is light and inviting. Stan completed the design on schedule, and the family was released in 1983.
Since Stan’s design was not a direct copy of the University fonts, but close enough that ITC wanted to give credit where it is due, the name “Berkeley Oldstyle” was chosen.
ITC Berkeley Oldstyle is a beautiful typeface and a practical design tool – thanks to Fred Goudy and Tony Stan.