And Here We Go,

have you ever wonder why we use the ampersand? 

&

used often in books, it’s one of the most peculiar characters in any typeface—quirky and curvy, it sits above the number 7, and boasts an interesting history, so here goes,

1ST CENTURY CE

Romans scribble the Latin et into a combined symbol, with graffiti examples turning up in the ruins of Pompeii.

11TH-13TH CENTURY CE Monasteries in Ireland and Scotland keep writing alive in the Middle Ages, but use their own shorthand symbols for “et” or “and”, explaining the variation in styles.

14TH-16TH CENTURY CE Italian Renaissance artists and writers create the glyph we most recognize and put it into common use for titles and names.

18TH-19TH CENTURY CE English school children learn it as the 27th letter of the alphabet. To distinguish it as a stand-alone character in recitation, they say “and per se and” which fuses together to become the name.

20TH CENTURY Jonathan Hoefler establishes a type foundry in New York City, which created ampersands in original typefaces commissioned by retail and media giants—The New York Times, Condé Nast, Rolling Stone, Tiffany & Co., Nike, and Hewlett Packard, to name a few.

21ST CENTURY

Other famous typeface designers take a liking to the ampersand because of its playful, creative opportunities, our love affair with the glyph continues, and so on and so on, or & so on & so on.