Jackson Burke Explained

Jackson Burke (1908 in San Francisco, California – 1975) was an American type and book designer.^[1] After studying at the University of California, Berkeley, he succeeded C.H. Griffith as Director of Typographic Development at Mergenthaler Linotype from 1949 until 1963, where he designed several type faces.^[2]

He was also responsible for a number of other achievements at Mergenthaler-Linotype including:

• development of fonts for Native American languages^[3]
• development of the TeleTypesetting System (TTS) for magazine use
• development and implementation of the first phase of Linotype Group's photocomposition library^[4]

With his wife Mary Griggs Burke (1916–2012) he was a noted collector of Japanese art; by the time of her death, the collection had become the largest private collection of Japanese art outside Japan.^[5] The couple did not have children, and on her death in 2012 their collection was divided between the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and the Minneapolis Institute of Arts.^{[6] [7] [8]}

Type Faces

• Trade Gothic series (Linotype), similar to Morris Fuller Benton's News Gothic.
  • Trade Gothic Condensed + Bold (1948)
  • Trade Gothic Extra Condensed + Bold (1948)
  • Trade Gothic + Bold (1955)
  • Trade Gothic Extended + Bold (1959)
  • Trade Gothic Light + Italic (1962)
• Majestic + Bold (1955, Linotype), some sources credit this face to Burke,^[9] while others simply list it as being created by "staff designers".^[10]
• Aurora + Italic (1960, Linotype), only made in 8.5 point.

External links

• Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation - link
• The Mary Griggs Burke Collection, comprehensive online catalogue of The Mary Griggs Burke Collection
• Bridge of dreams: the Mary Griggs Burke collection of Japanese art, a catalogue from The Metropolitan Museum of Art Libraries (fully available online as PDF)

Notes and References

1. News: Jackson Burke, designer of type. The New York Times . 2 June 1975 . 17 December 2016.
2. Fiedl, Frederich, Nicholas Ott and Bernard Stein. Typography: An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Through History. Black Dog & Leventhal: 1998., p. 151.
3. TYPOGRAPHY – An Encyclopedic Survey of Type Design and Techniques Throughout History by Friedrich Friedl, Nicolaus Ott (Editor), Bernard Stein, published by Könemann Verlagsgesellschaft mbH
4. http://www.myfonts.com/person/burke/jackson/ MyFonts.com - Jackson Burke
5. News: Margalit. Fox. Mary Griggs Burke, Japanese Art Connoisseur, Dies at 96 . . 2012-12-18 . 2013-01-03.
6. News: Will. Ashenmacher. Renowned art collector, St. Paul native Mary Griggs Burke dies at 96 . . 2012-12-08 . 2013-01-03.
7. News: Masterpieces of Japanese and Korean Art from Renowned Mary Griggs Burke Collection Donated to Metropolitan Museum of Art and Minneapolis Institute of Arts through Landmark Bequests . . 2015-03-16 . 2015-03-16.
8. News: Metropolitan Museum and Minneapolis Institute to Share Large Collection of Asian Art . . 2015-03-15 . 2015-03-16.
9. Jaspert, W. Pincus, W. Turner Berry and A.F. Johnson. The Encyclopedia of Type Faces. Blandford Press Lts.: 1953, 1983. .p. 144.
10. MacGrew, Mac, American Metal Typefaces of the Twentieth Century, Oak Knoll Books, New Castle Delaware, 1993,, p. 209.