Notes on the Table
This table is based on measurements taken from ten
eighteenth-century specimens by Caslon, Wilson and Fry. The average
of these measurements is given, so that the table is unlikely to be
completely accurate with regard to the products of any one
foundry.[10] It will be noticed that
a few of the body-sizes are not quite the same as those given by Mr
J. C. Tarr in a letter to The Library;
[11] however, I am convinced that the
sizes
I give are more accurate than his as far as eighteenth century
founts are concerned, which, with few exceptions differed
remarkably little from each other in size. I imagine that Mr Tarr's
measurements were taken from type of other periods, which would
explain the slight discrepancy.
It will be seen that one or two text types have the same sized
capitals as some of the titling types (e.g., Two Line Great Primer
text and Two Line Pica titling), and these correspondences are
found even more frequently in the work of each individual founder.
Probably both sets of capitals were cast in matrices made from the
same punches. A similar technique seems to have been used to supply
founts with Small Capitals; the small caps of a given fount often
appear to originate from the punches of the capitals of the fount
two or three sizes smaller.
