The font, Arnold Boecklin, appeared in 1904 with the font foundry Otto Weisert. Traces of the floral forms of the Jugendstil can still be seen in this typeface. Alphabets of this type were mainly meant for larger point sizes, as on posters. A decorative feel was much more important than legibility, and Arnold Boecklin was of particular importance to the book design of the Jugendstil movement.

Today the font is often used to remind people of “the good old days”.