Designed by Les Usherwood. Digitally engineered by Steve Jackaman. Originally designed by Frederick Goudy for the original Life magazine, circa 1908.

Because of delays in production, the face was never used by the magazine. Gimbel Brothers, the famous New York department store, opened in 1910, around the time of the release of the typeface.

The typeface was used almost exclusively for their advertising and was often known as Goudy Gimbel; but the typeface was better known by the Monotype series number Goudy 38.