First, you set a policy – print ad, Howarth & Smith Monotype, Jack Birdsall, 1958

Howarth & Smith (H&S) was one of the three major typesetting houses in Toronto – and the only one to consistently keep pace with Cooper & Beatty. In the early 1950s, H&S enlisted the help of Leslie Trevor and Jack Birdsall, at Rous and Mann Press, to produce a series of striking advertisements showcasing their quality typesetting services.

This particular ad is a good example of that creative effort. Using prominent black bars that represent the metal bearers used to lock forms of metal type in place, Trevor and Birdsall played with the positioning of these bars and the H&S mark to create both movement and emphasis. The H&S mark itself is treated as an active visual element within the composition.

In 1958, the same year this ad appeared, H&S hired Carl Brett as their first Type Director. He remained with the company for nearly two decades, helping to define their typographic output during a time of significant technological and aesthetic change. – Rod McDonald

Artifact Text

First you set a policy…
Our company has based its policy upon the foundation of practical and efficient service. Through the years of expansion from a small business to one of Canada’s largest and most modern typographic houses, we have organized a competent staff of skilled craftsmen. We constantly strive to adhere strictly to the standards of high quality at all times, that have warranted your confidence in our product. We assure you that this will always be true, and as new products appear, they will be incorporated to continually improve our high standards. Howarth & Smith Monotype Limited, 318 Richmond Street West, Toronto, EM 6–7861.