P22 Larkin Font

Publisher: International House of Fonts

This font style is based on a lettering design utilized as a logotype for the Larkin Company circa 1900.

The Larkin Company began as a soap company in the late 1800s and ultimately grew into a gigantic mail-order and chain shop which made and sold a large range of items. The Buffalo, New york city based Larkin Soap Business was among the first to offer advertising "premiums" to its customers to encourage sales. This marketing showed so effective that The Larkin Company started its own pottery to produce China and later furniture and other products which became products themselves.

One of the Larkin Business's star salesmen and exectutives retired early in 1893 to begin his own venture. Elbert Hubbard integrated his remarkable salesmanship with his love of the Arts and Crafts motion to found the well-known Roycroft motion based in East Aurora New York.

The other executives in the Larkin Company employed Frank Lloyd Wright to develop the Larkin Administration structure along with several homes for various family members of the Larkin executives, most significantly Darwin D. Martin.

The Larkin Administration Building was demolished by short-sighted designers in the 1950s, however the majority of the Wright designed houses still exist. The staying Larkin storage facility structures are currently going through significant restorations. This typeface was commissioned to act as signs and titling for products connected to the LCo. Building which houses premium office in addition to a caf., day care and museum in the initial Larkin business spirit.

This lettering design is unusual because integrates aspects of a number of lettering designs. It is basically a Germanic Blackletter however with many romanized capital letters and likewise includes an italic slant together with some italic lower case traits. It is expressive of "vintage" craftsmanship and early 20th century romanticism. The full font was established was developed based on the restricted "logos" which were all vital hand rendered variations of each other. The source Letters originated from signs with the words: "The Larkin Co.", "The Larkin Store" & & "Larkin Soap Co."