Simoncini is the closest I can find but it doesn't match.

http://www.myfonts.com/fonts/linotype/simoncini-garamond/

It seems to be the same as "Italian Garmond"

This is a helpful site for comparing them.

This isn't a "true" Garamond, I think it's the Jean Jannon roman or a later Garamond mistakely based on the Jannon roman. As this is metal, I think it might be difficult to find an exact match. However, Simoncini Garamond is close and Frantisek Storm's Jannon is a nice Jannon revival worth looking at.

My guess its the Typoart Garamond, the Linotype type setting version. Maybe you can show as some ff fl ligatures and the italic. E+F/URW have a creepy version of it called No. 5.

--astype.de--

I can't spot ligatures in the text, Romanian books usually don't have these. The italic looks like below (don't know if it's the original italic, but it's used in the preface and in the text).

This could be Frederic Goudy's Garamont in metal, a digital version was released by Lanston P22. But since this is a Romanian book, maybe this is a bit of a stretch but it's close! :^)

The Simoncini Garamond doesn't have that style of 'w' in the italic. The italic 'z' is quite Goudy-esque, but his Garamont for Lanston Monotype doesn't have that 'w' either.

- Mike Yanega

Mike, you're right. Frantisek Storm's Jannon has this italic w and would be an excellent digital subsitute.

9pt Typoart Garamond Italic / Linotype setting system. Watch the K, S the "ng" combination - you will find the same spacing issues - pretty close to me.

- astype.de -

I haven't seen a Garamond with such wiggy proportions (see a, s, e, c). Goudy's drawings are much more like the Jannons that were misattributed. Also, that was for Monotype. This is set with a Linotype or equivalent non-kerning system. Look at j, z, y, r and especially the telltale smashed f. Looks like Andreas found it.

Excellent Andreas, thank you. An indeed the current digitisations (Garamond 5) are lousy.

The Typoart Garamond is one of the finest reincarnations of this theme. But you look on a "italic" for a linotype matirce - so the italic has to be on the same width like the roman. If you read some technical papers about the width limitation, the pro and cons of the linotype versus the monotype system, you will find out, monotype designs can be made more "true" (in case of histrical designs) than linotype matrices. There was a different version for monotype matrices too. The handsetting version from 14 or 16pt and above is a beauty. Since this book is a Romanian thing from the 1960ies, its obviously, they would use a "eastern" matrice since the hard western money was an issue everytime.

One thing I like on this Garamond is the kalligraphic and uneven look of the serifs. In these digital days lots of historical designs coming with cloned, equalized, hard edged serifs and steams. Its easier and faster to develop and look more crisp on screen but... the soul is gone. :-)

--astype.de--