1936 Olympic Dagger: Packaging Analysis

[Ludwig vK]

Hermann Zapf was born in Nuremberg in 1918. In 1934 at the age of 15 he began training as an apprentice photo retoucher. In 1938 he left for Frankfurt and designed his first printed Fraktur typeface.

In 1939 Zapf was conscripted. Illness restricted him to office duties whereby he hand scribed certificates in Germanic Fraktur, later working as a cartographer.

In 1948 Zapf created one of his most famous typefaces, Palatino.

[Ludwig vK]

In 1988 Bill Gates announced Microsoft Office. Taking advantage of the lack of copyright protection of typefaces in the United States, Palatino was cloned; retitled 'Book Antiqua'.

Almost indistinguishable from Zapf's Palatino, it has been distributed with Microsoft software since 1995.

[Ludwig vK]

This is a photo of the paper packet frequently found accompanying the 1936 Olympic Dagger.

[Ludwig vK]

This is the same photo with Microsoft's Book Antiqua font superimposed in red.

[Ludwig vK]

And this is a close up of the 1936 Olympic Dagger paper packet with Microsoft's Book Antiqua font superimposed in red.

[Ludwig vK]

Recapping:

1936 - Berlin Olympics

1948 - Palatino font by Hermann Zapf

1995 - Book Antiqua font distributed by Microsoft

[Bulldog]

I am not following, what is the link to Tom Wittmann?

Russ.

[Ludwig vK]

Sorry for the confusion. Wittmann is simply one among several who have claimed these to be real and dealt in them. I have no idea who manufactured the packets, but they aren't looking pre 1936 with that font.

[John_B]

That only goes to show what everyone has been saying for years - They DISD NOT exist during the TR period ......

Until period photographs show that they did use them/ issu them/ sell them .............
I for one will never believe in them - no matter what dealers say

[crowback]

If enough people repeat the lie it becomes the truth...

[101combatvet]

Good detective work.

[Frogprince]

Exhibit "B": Some images of what's probably one of the later manufactured batches of these postwar small aluminum hilted knives. Drawing attention to the really amateurish sloppy/bad insertion of an HJ style diamond in the grip, and the very poor quality etching. (Not that it seemed to appreciably slow down the sales of this kind of junk.) FP

Handle-HJ Emblem

Blade Etch-Bag

[GaryMJ]

Impressive hypothesis Ludwig if your dates are correct, it's an approach that has probably never occurred to anybody, good work Sir!

[MFarbe68]

Yes i followed this on the HJResearch forum, BRILIANT!!!! We have known for years it is a fantasy product, but some need proove, here it is!

[geefal]

Wow, "detective of the year" award sir.

Truly impressive research on your part