The women behind Times New Roman: The contribution of type drawing offices to twentieth century type-making

Abstract

The narrative behind the creation of Times New Roman, one of the most widely used typefaces in the western world, is well established and revolves around famous male figures of British typographic history. This article recognises the role played by the Monotype Type Drawing Office (TDO), and of its draughtswomen in particular, in the making of the typeface. While female figures are largely absent from type histories, this contribution emphasises the key role played by the women who worked on adapting Stanley Morison’s original idea for Times New Roman into a fully working, extensive type family. Based on original archival material, it discusses the background of these women, their working conditions, and the nature of their contribution to type-making. In a wider perspective, this article advocates a more inclusive and collaborative view of design history and of its narratives.