Ballantine Cover Font? - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

02-05-2006, 11:41 PM

Hi Folks,

Here's an obscure trivia question I haven't been able to track down on the web:

Does anyone know the font used for the distinctive covers of the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks? Is there a Mac version, or a close approximation available?

This will help us do lettering for signs on our model railroad -- The Grey Havens, Lorien & Gondor

Thanks,
Maureen

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 02-06-2006, 08:05 AM

This may not be the exact font used by Ballantine, but I think you'll agree that it's fairly close.

tolkien.ttf

Alternatively, a number of Tengwar fonts are available, which are only a disadvantage in that they're illegible to anyone who isn't a Tolkien fan. The Quenya version is available from the main Barrow-Downs site (see here and possibly here)

I'm more intrigued than any well-balanced person should be by the name of Ballantine's font, so I'm still trying to track it down. I'll edit to include it if I manage to do that.

02-08-2006, 09:33 AM

Thanks, that will be helpful.

The Tolkien.ttf is not at all Ballantine's cover font. It looks like the font used by the bootleg US paperbacks and related posters of the 60's/70's. However, we'll still find uses for that on our train layout (set in the early steam age of ME, shortly after the invention of the Iron Warg

)

Meanwhile, to keep hunting for Ballantine's font....

Roa_Aoife · 02-08-2006, 09:38 AM

It would be helpful if there was a picture available. I can't seem to find one on the web.

The Squatter of Amon Rûdh · 02-08-2006, 10:44 AM

Quite a few of the American paperback editions are here.

On a second examination, that font isn't terribly close, although it does have a similar 'e'. I don't have any American editions, but I'm sure that someone does. Perhaps the font is mentioned somewhere in the publication details (I seem to remember that my GA&A editions list the printer and typeface, but that might not be an international standard).

Estelyn Telcontar · 02-08-2006, 12:18 PM

I own the red-boxed 1973 Ballantine paperbacks (with Tolkien's own drawings on the covers) and have checked out the info inside - alas, no mention is made of the font used. I will attempt to make time to search the fonts I have to compare them, but it may take awhile...

Bêthberry · 02-08-2006, 12:59 PM

Good quality paperbacks often list the font name at the back of the book, on a separate page, if it isn't given on the frontispiece with the publishing data.

Sometimes books do name the typesetting company, though, with that data. Could one do a net search for typesetting company name and contact them? Just a suggestion.

02-16-2006, 11:01 AM

Last week I sent an email query to Ballantine, but haven't heard back.

I also asked them about their 1965 cover font too.

GHL&G · 04-19-2010, 09:42 PM

Hi,

Doing my own thread necromancy here since I finally found an answer to my question!

(My old log-in wasn't working for some reason, so had to create a new similar one.)

I recently found the website, http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/
Scanned in one of the 1973 Ballantine book covers, and that site quickly identified a number of possible matches.

The ones I like the best are:
Tribunus SG Roman
Tribunus SG Bold

Also, following in order of my preference:
Cadmus
Hadrian
Linotype Trajanus Roman

Thought I'd tidy up this thread in case anyone else is searching later.

Cheers,
Maureen

02-05-2006, 11:41 PM	#1
GHL&G RR Guest Posts: n/a	Ballantine Cover Font? Hi Folks, Here's an obscure trivia question I haven't been able to track down on the web: Does anyone know the font used for the distinctive covers of the 1973 Ballantine paperbacks? Is there a Mac version, or a close approximation available? This will help us do lettering for signs on our model railroad -- The Grey Havens, Lorien & Gondor Thanks, Maureen

02-06-2006, 08:05 AM	#2
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,177	Tolkien fonts This may not be the exact font used by Ballantine, but I think you'll agree that it's fairly close. tolkien.ttf Alternatively, a number of Tengwar fonts are available, which are only a disadvantage in that they're illegible to anyone who isn't a Tolkien fan. The Quenya version is available from the main Barrow-Downs site (see here and possibly here) I'm more intrigued than any well-balanced person should be by the name of Ballantine's font, so I'm still trying to track it down. I'll edit to include it if I manage to do that. __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

02-08-2006, 09:38 AM	#4
Roa_Aoife Ghost Prince of Cardolan Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Someday, I'll rule all of it. Posts: 1,696	It would be helpful if there was a picture available. I can't seem to find one on the web. __________________ We can't all be Roas* when it comes to analysing...* -Lommy I didn't say you're evil, Roa, I said you're exasperating. -Nerwen

02-08-2006, 10:44 AM	#5
The Squatter of Amon Rûdh Spectre of Decay Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Bar-en-Danwedh Posts: 2,177	Quite a few of the American paperback editions are here. On a second examination, that font isn't terribly close, although it does have a similar 'e'. I don't have any American editions, but I'm sure that someone does. Perhaps the font is mentioned somewhere in the publication details (I seem to remember that my GA&A editions list the printer and typeface, but that might not be an international standard). __________________ Man kenuva métim' andúne?

02-08-2006, 12:18 PM	#6
Estelyn Telcontar Princess of Skwerlz Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: where the Sea is eastwards (WtR: 6060 miles) Posts: 7,499	I own the red-boxed 1973 Ballantine paperbacks (with Tolkien's own drawings on the covers) and have checked out the info inside - alas, no mention is made of the font used. I will attempt to make time to search the fonts I have to compare them, but it may take awhile... __________________ 'Mercy!' cried Gandalf. 'If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you. What more do you want to know?' 'The whole history of Middle-earth...'

02-08-2006, 09:33 AM	#3
GHL&G RR Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks, that will be helpful. The Tolkien.ttf is not at all Ballantine's cover font. It looks like the font used by the bootleg US paperbacks and related posters of the 60's/70's. However, we'll still find uses for that on our train layout (set in the early steam age of ME, shortly after the invention of the Iron Warg ) Meanwhile, to keep hunting for Ballantine's font....

02-08-2006, 12:59 PM	#7
Bêthberry Cryptic Aura Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 5,979	Lord Font-ahoy Good quality paperbacks often list the font name at the back of the book, on a separate page, if it isn't given on the frontispiece with the publishing data. Sometimes books do name the typesetting company, though, with that data. Could one do a net search for typesetting company name and contact them? Just a suggestion. __________________ I’ll sing his roots off. I’ll sing a wind up and blow leaf and branch away.

02-16-2006, 11:01 AM	#8
GHL&G RR Guest Posts: n/a	Last week I sent an email query to Ballantine, but haven't heard back. I also asked them about their 1965 cover font too.

04-19-2010, 09:42 PM	#9
GHL&G Newly Deceased Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Boston, MA Posts: 1	Hi, Doing my own thread necromancy here since I finally found an answer to my question! (My old log-in wasn't working for some reason, so had to create a new similar one.) I recently found the website, http://www.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/ Scanned in one of the 1973 Ballantine book covers, and that site quickly identified a number of possible matches. The ones I like the best are: Tribunus SG Roman Tribunus SG Bold Also, following in order of my preference: Cadmus Hadrian Linotype Trajanus Roman Thought I'd tidy up this thread in case anyone else is searching later. Cheers, Maureen