Caslon Antique
Caslon Antique is a decorative American typeface that was designed in 1894 by Berne Nadall. It was originally called Fifteenth Century, but was renamed Caslon Antique by Nadall's foundry, Barnhart Bros. & Spindler, in the mid-1920s. The design of the typeface is meant to evoke the Colonial era.
Caslon Antique
- Name
- Caslon Antique
- Field
- serif typeface
- Period
- 1894
Reference Check
Propose documentary evidence for Caslon Antique. A contribution is never written directly as fact: identity, source, rights and evidence gates still decide.
Sign in to contribute
Documentary evidence
Documentary basis
Authority files
gnd · 7646402-7 · wikidata · Q5048975 · wikipedia · Caslon Antique
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
The documentary record
Statements marked “Documentary record” are set in the article beside the passage they confirm. Each is read from the authority records of the institutions named here; select “Prove” to see the record it was read from, where in that record, and when.
Institutions cited
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Complete reading chain (JSON)In this article
Overview
Overview
Early printers would reuse metal type over and over again, and the faces would become chipped and damaged from use. Antique emulates this look.
Documentary record
Caslon Antique is a concept documented in the authority records of the Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Caslon Antique • Style — Display • Creationdate — 1894 • Creator — Berne Nadall • Foundry — Barnhart Brothers & Spindler • Sample — * Illustration — Caslon Antique sample text
Variants
Variants
An italic variant of the font is also available. In addition to versions available under the traditional name, Corel produces its own version of the font under the name "Casablanca Antique."
Notable uses
Notable uses
Caslon Antique is popular today when an "old-fashioned" or "gothic" look is desired. It was used in the opening credits of the Jacques Rivette film La Belle Noiseuse. It is used by the musical group The Sisters of Mercy and Sepultura on their albums, for the logo of the musical Les Misérables, and for the covers of the books in A Series of Unfortunate Events. It is also frequently used on historical displays. It is used for the Warhammer role-playing game. It is also used in the logo of Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian chain of rodízio-style steakhouses (churrascarias). The 1985 reboot of the TV series The Twilight Zone uses it. Most recently, it has been used on promotional material for the smash musical Monty Python's Spamalot on Broadway, the West End, and its tour of the United States. British band The The also used the font in several of their music videos, usually displaying several lyrics from the song in the opening scenes. It used on the cover of Regina Spektor's album Begin to Hope. Caslon Antique is also the main font used by Smuttynose Brewing Company in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The font is also used in some circumstances of the 2009 children's show Horrible Histories.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 7646402-7, Caslon Antique.
General reference · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
reference work
- “Caslon Antique”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q5048975: Caslon Antique
General reference · Wikidata
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Caslon Antique, revision 1343675565 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 7646402-7, Caslon Antique.Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Secondary witnessreference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
Elsewhere in Books
39,529 published records in this field, each with its sources named.
- Cascadia CodeTerminology
- Casimir DelavigneAuthor
- Casimiro de AbreuAuthor
- Casiodoro de ReinaAuthor
- CasnodynAuthor
- Caspar AbelAuthor
- Caspar BarlaeusAuthor
- Caspar Bartholin the ElderAuthor
Best supported in this field
For owners
Own an object connected with Caslon Antique?
A specialist will read what you send and tell you what the house can establish, what it cannot, and whether the object is suited to sale. There is no charge and no obligation. The object stays with you throughout; nothing is shipped to us unless it is arranged in writing beforehand.