Mistral
Mistral
Year: 1953
Designer: Roger Excoffon
Foundry: Fonderie Olive
French typography has long history of both innovation and ornamentation. From the extravagant designs of Pierre Simon Fournirer le Jeune to the refined modern stylings of Francoise-Ambroise Didot to the art deco designs of A. M. Cassandre, French type design has long been avant garde.
That tradition continued into the mid-20th century with the imaginative and organic typefaces created by Roger Excofffon for Fonderie Olive, a small foundry in Marseilles. While other mid-century designers were scrambling to create neo-grotesque faces to meet the demands of the International Style, Excoffon was busy creating expressive new letterforms like the brush-based Choc, the eye-catching Banco and the trompe l’oeil Calypso.
In 1953, Excoffon released Mistral, a casual script based on his own handwriting. In the 70+ years since its release, it remains a popular choice for signage and other display applications.