Burgess is an idiosyncratic and subjective reinterpretation of midcentury Photostat cuts of Times New Roman Bold & Bold Italic. While Times was initially said to have been drawn for the the British newspaper The Times in 1931 by Victor Lardent and Stanley Morison, several type historians believe the design was based on an earlier work by the American industrial designer William Starling Burgess. Burgess, whose own drawing purportedly dates to 1904, was known primarily for his contributions to aviation and maritime histories, as well as his later-life collaborations with figures like Buckminster Fuller.

Burgess was drawn specifically for FIVE YEARS by the members of Colophon Foundry — acting in a neutral manner to the plethora of typefaces that we presented as our celebration.