Without question the ampersand is my absolute favorite ligature. The ampersand can be traced back to the 1st century A.D. and is a written contraction of “et,” the Latin word for “and.” Its shape has evolved continuously since its introduction, and while some ampersands are still manifestly e-t ligatures, others merely hint at this origin, sometimes in very oblique ways.

Want to know more? Go to Hoefler & Co for the full and glorious ampersand story.