Caslon Italian

The Italian marks one of the stranger episodes in the typefounders experimentation in the early 19th century. Reversing the fatface’s stress, so thins become thicks, and thicks become thins, creates a unusual effect. Caslon introduced them in 1821 and the punches remain in St Bride library. Unlike the other styles, Italian, did not attain widescale success, and most foundries did not copy Caslon’s lead.