Celebrating 20 Years of FontShop — 20th Anniversary Breakfast

To celebrate 20 years of FontShop the San Francisco team visited Berlin at the occasion of TYPO Berlin. FSI Germany invited them all for a pre-TYPO breakfast at their offices. Meet the gang.

Most of the San Francisco crew arriving at the Berlin offices. From left to right Chris Hamamoto (back turned to the camera), Jason Vagner (hidden behind Chris, taking a picture of the FSI – FontShop International sign), Michelle Nguyen, Jacob Swartz, Brian Martin, Ivan Bettger, Star Morin (looking down), and Jason Chapin. Photo by Michael Pieracci

Let's mingle. The San Francisco and Berlin teams meet, many for the first time in person. Photo by Michael Pieracci

Team Typographica Stephen Coles (left) and Chris Hamamoto (right) inspect the contents of the FontShop International book rack. At the right hand side the early (pre-DVD) TYPO Berlin archives on video. Photo by Michael Pieracci

Jason Vagner (left) and Michelle Nguyen (right) inspect the copious breakfast buffet. This looks yummy! Photo by Michael Pieracci

The Berlin and San Francisco offices share a birthday breakfast for the 20th anniversary of FontShop. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Jason Vagner (right), CTO at FontShop San Francisco, discusses breakfasty matters with Chris Hamamoto (left). Photo by Max Zerrahn

Michelle Nguyen (left), designer at FontShop San Francisco, performs an ancient incantation on her glass of orange juice. Ugla Marekowa (light green shirt), designer and foundry relations at FSI Germany, and Theresa Dela Cruz (black sweater and yellow scarf), sales and support at FontShop San Francisco, look slightly worried. Ivan Bettger (second from right) checks if the enchantment has any side-effects on his latte, while Michel Pieracci (right) remains unphased.Photo by Michael Pieracci

Andreas Frohloff (second from left), head of type department at FSI Germany, in conversation at the bar with the two interns Marc Rouault (left) and Sascha Timplan (right). Photo by Max Zerrahn

Deutsch-Amerikanische Freundschaft, FontShop-style. Jacob Swartz (left, standing), web developer at FontShop San Francisco, keeps an eye on Lola, technical consultant Andreas Eigendorf's dog. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Joan Spiekermann (centre), co-founder and President of FontShop International, oversees the event and likes what she sees. She is flanked by Tanja Gießler (left), and Veronica Hamer, sales and administration, at FSI Germany. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Tanja Gießler, fStop post production, and Gina Strattner, fStop keywording and database administration, FSI Germany office buddies. Photo by Max Zerrahn

San Francisco co-workers listen to Berlin stories, Berlin co-workers listen to San Francisco stories, and vice-versa. Or something like that. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Decisions, decisions. Chris Hamamoto, visual designer and front end developer at the San Francisco office, shaped The FontFeed and keeps its CSS in shape. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Stephen Coles and Laura Serra, type-loving lovers. Photo by Michael Pieracci

Ivan Bettger (centre), Sales and Support at FontShop San Francisco, is a member of the fearless Font Identification and Type Research Team. "We gladly identify fonts and conduct typographic research without charge for registered users of FontShop.com." At your service. ; ) Photo by Max Zerrahn

Ivo Gabrowitsch (second from right), FontFont Marketing Director and owner/blogger of Fontwerk, gives Michael Pieracci (second from left), First Officer at FontShop San Francisco, a virtual tour of Berlin. As it is a paper map, no webfonts in sight though. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Thumbs up! Christoph Koeberlin, font developer at FSI Germany, freelance typographer, graphic designer, type designer, and owner/blogger of Typefacts, agrees this inter-office breakfast celebration is a great initiative. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Look what I have in my hands! Gina Strattner tries to make the others jealous. The introduction of the iPad in Germany was still more than a week away. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Greg Scholz (left), sales and support at FSI Germany, and Clemens (right), software developer, admire Stephen Coles' iPad. Photo by Max Zerrahn

Laura Serra (left) and Jacob Swartz (right) have had enough breakfast. For now. Photo by Chris Hamamoto

There's me having some FSI tea and hoping the headline to my lower right applies rather than the one to my upper left. Photo by Chris Hamamoto

Many happy returns. Stephen Coles, Type Director /  Glyph Pusher at FontShop San Francisco and member of the Font Identification and Type Research Team, co-author on The FontFeed, owner/blogger of Typographica and The Mid-Century Modernist, and my partner in type-geekery, raises his glass to twenty more years of yellow-black. Cheers! Photo by Max Zerrahn

Header image:Photo by Max Zerrahn