Fairfield
dailyspecimen: Today Iβm trying something new: putting text faces under a microscope.
Rudolph Ruzicka was born in Bohemia in 1883 and in 1894 his family immigrated to Chicago. Young Rudolph spent three years while working as an apprentice wood engraver (1897β1900) while attending night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago and weekend classes at Hull House. In 1903 Ruzicka moved to New York City to work for the American Banknote Engraving Company. He continued night school at the New York School of Art. The Calkins & Holden advertising agency hired Ruzicka in 1906. In 1910 he went solo and started his own engraving and printing studio. As a freelancer his work included illustrations, advertising, book jackets and layouts, and engraving in at least four media.
Fairfield was commissioned by C. H. Griffith of Mergenthaler Linotype as a replacement for Century Schoolbook. From 1935 to 1940 Ruzicka designed the Fairfield and Fairfield italic. Fairfield Light was released in 1940 and expanded with medium and medium italic fonts in 1949.
