Algerian is a fancy headline typeface from the turn of the 20th century, when flowery ornament was in style. It has only capital letters, and no italic style or bold weight. It is suitable for decorative labels, signs, or banners. It might be the ideal choice for a large sign reading “ANTIQUES” or “RESTAURANT.” It is meant to be used at large sizes.
Since Algerian has such intricately decorative letterforms, it would combine well with a very simple sans serif typeface such as News Gothic or Franklin Gothic (or, for a more informal feel, Comic Sans) for text or accompanying information.
Algerian’s style is drawn from the writing on signs in Spain and North Africa in the late 19th century. It was published in the early 1900s as a metal typeface by the English type foundry Stephenson, Blake and Co.; after being adapted for phototypesetting and for rub-down lettering, it was converted into a computer font by the German digital font foundry URW in the mid-1980s.
