I think this is Century 731 (a.k.a. Textype) by C. H Griffith. See this sample from the Serif Font ID Guide.

- Mike Yanega

this is Esquire

Yep. Esquire seems to be it. The e seems a bit wider in the sample but I haven’t found anything closer either. Thanks.
Funny thing is I browsed through the transitional category on myfonts and didn’t come across Esquire.

If you compare Esquire and Bitstream's Century 731 you will see they are 'identical' (I put that in quotes because there are always some variations in digitizations of the same design). The signature of this typeface is the ear on the 'g'. Scangraphic has a history of changing names on their typefaces if they do not have the rights to use the 'correct' name. This is much like Bitstream's and URW's agreements with the foundries whose libraries they helped digitize.

The original name of this typeface, I still believe, is 'Textype' and it was designed by C. H. Griffith for Mergenthaler Linotype in 1929, as a newspaper type (See McGrew pp306-7)
- Mike Yanega

Mike, thanks for the extra information.
The bottom stroke of the e (btw - is there a link to english typographic terminology) seems closer in Esquire.

I've done some more reading in McGrew and it seems that Griffith also designed a typeface called Excelsior for Linotype two years after Textype. Excelsior had a greater x-height, and in the metal version, came with either long or short descenders. Otherwise it's almost impossible (for me) to tell them apart. They both have the same ear on the 'g'. It makes sense to me that 'Esquire' is the digitization of 'Excelsior', since most of the time Scangraphic used the same initial letter as the original typeface name.

Further, this one may have fooled the FontBook folks too, because they show 'Esquire' as based on the 1929 Griffith design (Textype), when Excelsior was designed in 1931. BTW, Linotype has its own digital version of Excelsior. Does that match any better?

- Mike Yanega

A reading of Gürtler's glorious article on newspaper types in
Typografische Monatsblätter explains a lot of the lineage here.

hhp

Mike. Thanks again.
Still think Esquire is closer.
o and e are more squarish like in the sample and s is more like it.

Hrant, could you summarize the main points about these types? Is McGrew's information correct? (BTW, Griffith did Ionic earlier, and it's also quite similar, but the 'g' ear is more rounded.)

- Mike Yanega

Jan, you're the judge. If Esquire is closest, then that's the answer.

For English type terminology on the web, let me look for a reference, and I will post one or two links, unless someone knows a good one right away.

- Mike Yanega

Here's a link to an Adobe Guide about letterform terms.

- Mike Yanega

Great! Thanks

Here is an article which defines Type Terminology, and as an extra bonus throws in some symbols and general term definitions.

- Mike Yanega

> could you summarize the main points about these types?

Take a number. :-/

hhp