Week 1: History: Brief History of Type

Here is a link I found through historyisdesign.com on the brief history of typeface styles.
http://ilovetypography.com/2007/11/06/type-terminology-humanist-2/

The first historically notable typeface is Blackletter and was used extensively in the Middle Ages. It copies the style of manuscript form and consists of dark, caligraphic lettering. It was ultimately too difficult to read. Humanist type was developed in Venice between 1460-1470s. It was lighter in form than Blackletter. Humanist type is characterized by sloped crossbars, such as in lowercase e's, small height, little difference in stroke width, and a dark page color. It is considered out of style now but Humanist type is the foundation for modern font.
Humanist style is based in caligraphy, but Old Style fonts depart from that. Developed in the 1500s and 1600s, Old Style fonts are more refinded, use varying stroke widths and have serifs. They stress uprightedness and they have horizontal crossbars.
Transitional types, developed in the 1700s are perpendicular to the verticle axis and have great contrast between strokes of the same letter. Serifs are more horizontal and thinner.