The original Rockwell was produced by the Inland typefoundry in 1910, which issued it as Litho Antique; American Type Founders revived the face in the 1920s, with Morris Fuller Benton cutting several new weights.

The Monotype Corporation produced its version of Rockwell in 1934; unfortunately, some of the literature erroneously referred to it as Stymie Bold, thereby creating confusion that still exists today.

Rockwell is a geometric slab serif design, a strong display face for headlines and posters; it is also legible in short text blocks.