Typographic Expansion – brochure, Mono Lino Typesetting, Leslie (Sam) Smart, 1954

In its early years, Mono Lino was content to remain a trade typesetter. Unlike Cooper & Beatty, the firm made few moves into the advertising typography market and invested little in design. But that began to change in 1951, when Carl Dair became an advertising consultant and designer at C&B – a move that reshaped the competitive landscape in Toronto.

By 1954, Mono Lino responded by hiring its first Type Director: British-born Leslie (Sam) Smart (1921–98). Smart had flown Spitfires during the Battle of Britain – where he earned the nickname ‘Sam’ – and was part of a postwar wave of ambitious young British typographers who immigrated to Canada. He also arrived with a rare letter of recommendation from Beatrice Warde. Although, as Smart would later recall with amusement, few in Toronto knew who she was. Fortunately, some at Mono Lino – who had been dealing with the Monotype company since 1912 – did know.

Smart wrote regularly about typography and design, and taught evening typography classes at the Ryerson Institute of Technology (now Toronto Metropolitan University). In 1956, he became one of the four founding members of the Society of Typographic Designers of Canada (TDC), now the Design Professionals of Canada (DesCan).

Smart and Carl Dair became close friends, forming a friendly rivalry that spanned the decade leading up to Dair’s untimely death in 1967. Both designers would go on to win numerous awards and honours – often in the same competitions. – Rod McDonald

Artifact Text

Design, MLT, Layout – Design.
Typographic Expansion ….
Mono Lino Typesetting | 263 Adelaide Street West | Toronto 1 • Empire 3–3186