El Perú by Antonio Raimondi

El Perú, by the Italian-born Peruvian geographer and scientist Antonio Raimondi (1826–1890), is one of the earliest and broadest scientific reviews of Peru’s natural and cultural heritage, covering a myriad of topics in the natural history of Peru. It was originally published by the State Printing Office, the Imprenta del Estado, in Lima in 1874, although pictured are scans from the last (posthumously) published volume (second series, volume V), from 1913, about mineralogy and geology.

The title of the book seems to be set in French Old Style No. 2, with its characteristic knife-like “De Vinne” R. Interesting to note is that some specimens of French Old Style No. 2, like the 1892 Boston/Central specimen, feature an E with an unbracketed middle serif, while others such as the 1897 American Type Founders specimen, present an E with a gradual transition in its middle serif—as we can see in the El Perú title.

‘Estudios Mineralógicos y Geológicos’ is set in Post Old Style, designed by E.J. Kitson in 1900.

The sans serif looks like Gothic Wide No. 1, and distinguishes itself from Lining Gothic Extended No. 40 in its more closed aperture in S and G, and the subtle graceful curve in the leg of R (which is more prominent in the larger point sizes, and barely noticeable in the smaller point sizes, as you can see in the 1897 American Type Founders specimen).