Changed Thunderer

If the Old Gentleman who traditionally digests the London Times ("The Thunderer") with his breakfast kipper had received no forewarning, he probably kicked over his gout stool in amazement when he picked up his paper last Monday morning. In size, shape and general character, it was the same old Times. In the notice columns of the front page "Maisie" was still trying to get "Howard"' to call the Bayswater number; Old Boys were being besought by their headmasters to contribute a little something to St. Swiffen's; land was going begging in South Africa. But see here, what was this? The masthead which had remained unchanged for the past 144 years was all different. Instead of Gothic lettering it was set up in block lettering. And there were no horizontal lines enclosing the date below it. The titular coat of arms was not the same. And to cap that, the type face of the entire paper was different.

In making its change, the Times had gone forward and backward at the same time. Its coat of arms was resurrected from the top of the Daily Universal Register (founded 1785), the Times's predecessor. The arms included the fleur-de-lis, implying Britain's claim to the throne of France which was not relinquished until 1801. As if aware that this revival might be a source of irritation to readers across the Channel, the renewed lion looked considerably more fierce, more vigilant.

In designing its new type dress, the conservative Times had studied a report on the legibility of printing made six years ago by the Medical Research Council. With this ophthalmic advice in mind, the Times had also tried "to please the reader's eye." Result was a type which is thicker than the old in the main-stems and curves of the letters, has more refined junction strokes. The new type is called "Times New Roman." To harmonize with it was designed a new series of head fonts ("founts" to the Times') called "Modern Oldface." In appearance the paper's type will be blacker, solider than before.

Only old Times typographical feature to survive the shakeup was the clock design at the top of the editorial page on the grounds that "it indicates the importance of the page and is a symbol of its significance," it has been there for 130 years, it commemorates the paper's "passing from youth to maturity."

Realizing that some explanation for its new makeup was due its startled readership, the Times explained: "In the 18th Century the Times was largely read in coffee houses. In the 19th it came to be read in trains. In the 20th it is read in cars and airliners."

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