Helvetica Typeface

2007 marks the 50th anniversary of the Helvetica typeface. Created by Max Miedinger with Edouard Hoffmann at the Haas’sche Schriftgießerei (Haas type foundry) in Münchenstein, Switzerland, Helvetica is widely considered to be the official typeface of the twentieth century. Originally called Neue Haas Grotesk, the typeface's name was changed in 1960 by Haas' German parent company Stempel to Helvetica which is derived from the Latin name for Switzerland, Helvetia. The name change was intended to make the typeface more marketable internationally. To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Helvetica’s design, the Museum Of Modern Art in New York has a temporary exhibit to showcase the typeface. According to the site, “Helvetica communicates with simple, well-proportioned letterforms that convey an aesthetic clarity that is at once universal, neutral, and undeniably modern. In honor of the first typeface acquired for MoMA's collection, the installation presents posters, signage, and other graphic material demonstrating the variety of uses and enduring beauty of this design classic. As a special feature in the exhibition, an excerpt of Gary Hustwit's documentary Helvetica reveals the typeface as we experience it in an everyday context.” Documentary film director Gary Hustwit has produced a documentary on Helvetica, called simply Helvetica. (Primary Sources: www.wikipedia.org and www.moma.org)