American Type Founders

This type foundry emerged in 1892 as a fusion of 23 separate companies, all of which initially continued production in their own locations. In 1903, a headquarters was created in Jersey City. The type program was primarily directed by Morris Fuller Benton, who designed quite a few of the typefaces himself, many of which are still in use today. During the early 1990s, their type founding activities came to an end, and their matrices and equipment were auctioned off in 1993. Some historical pieces may be found in the Smithsonian Institution’s museums in Washington DC, and a large type specimen collection is at Columbia University in New York City.