Davison Arabesque and Vigus are two
phototype interpretations of an untitled “poster and sign card
alphabet” (UC and lc plus numerals) by J.M. Bergling shown in his Art Alphabets &
Lettering (1914).
PLINC’s version is shown in
Psychedelitypes (1968) as Pyschedelitype
57362 (caps only) and 57363 (with lowercase),
and then in Alphabet Thesaurus, Vol. 3 and One
Line Manual (1971) as Davison Arabesque.
Appears to include two forms of ‘R’ (with/without
hook) and ‘E’ (with/without longer middle bar).
Vigus AKA Unicorn is a very similar
design that originated at Filmotype. [Gorissen
1974] Unlike PLINC’s version, it’s caps only. Differences
include ‘J’ (non-descending), ‘K’ w/ curved arm and leg with hook,
‘S’ w/ smaller top aperture, ‘Q’ w/ centered tail, narrower ‘Y’,
smaller gaps in ‘ABR’. It’s shown as Vigus (solid)
with Unicorn Open (outlined), Vivid
(outlined shaded) and Vapor (filled with pattern of
curved lines) in Photoscript’s 1970 index as well as in a c.1974
Filmomaster catalog. Vigus and Unicorn
Open were also carried by Lettergraphics. [Lettergraphics More…
Davison Arabesque and Vigus are two phototype interpretations of an untitled “poster and sign card alphabet” (UC and lc plus numerals) by J.M. Bergling shown in his Art Alphabets & Lettering (1914).
PLINC’s version is shown in Psychedelitypes (1968) as Pyschedelitype 57362 (caps only) and 57363 (with lowercase), and then in Alphabet Thesaurus, Vol. 3 and One Line Manual (1971) as Davison Arabesque. Appears to include two forms of ‘R’ (with/without hook) and ‘E’ (with/without longer middle bar).
Vigus AKA Unicorn is a very similar design that originated at Filmotype. [Gorissen 1974] Unlike PLINC’s version, it’s caps only. Differences include ‘J’ (non-descending), ‘K’ w/ curved arm and leg with hook, ‘S’ w/ smaller top aperture, ‘Q’ w/ centered tail, narrower ‘Y’, smaller gaps in ‘ABR’. It’s shown as Vigus (solid) with Unicorn Open (outlined), Vivid (outlined shaded) and Vapor (filled with pattern of curved lines) in Photoscript’s 1970 index as well as in a c.1974 Filmomaster catalog. Vigus and Unicorn Open were also carried by Lettergraphics. [Lettergraphics 1976] Shown as Unicorn (solid), Unicorn Open, Unicorn Vivid and Unicorn Vapour by Typeshop [undated catalog]; and as Unicorn Black (solid) and Unicorn Open by Fürst. [Fürst c. 1976]
See Estoril (Scriptorium, 2018) and Acid Green (The Flying Type, 2021) for digital interpretations with lowercase.
