Pierre Simon Fournier

Pierre Simon Fournier – born 15. 9. 1712 in Paris, France, died 8. 10. 1768 in Paris, France – type founder, punch cutter, type designer – known as Fournier le Jeune.

Trains at the company of his father, Jean Claude Fournier. 1737: develops a typographical system of measures which F. A. Didot reworks. 1739: opens his own type foundry. 1742: publishes a book of type specimens which is printed by J. J. Barbou. In total, Fournier cuts 60,000 punches for c. 150 of his own alphabets. 1760: completes his design for a system of musical notation which is patented in 1762 and which is produced in various sizes in 1764. 1768: Fournier’s widow and son continue to run the type foundry after Fournier’s death.

Publications include: "Essai d’un nouveau caractère de fonte pour l’impression de la musique", Paris 1756; "Manuel typographique" (2 vols.), Paris 1764–66.

* TYPOGRAPHY – An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Throughout History by Friedrich Friedl, Nicolaus Ott (Editor), Bernard Stein, published by Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH.