and original pasteup boards, Camden, NJ, 1930–40Ĭountless showcard (interior advertising signs) writers and lettering artists got their start with Speedball pens and the easy-to-follow Text Book, which just celebrated its 100th year. The Archive holds many other sign painting manuals, from colorful alphabet portfolios of the 19th century to practical how-to guides of the 1940s–60s. Like this copy, the elaborate covers of early editions are often well used and loved.
Atkinson’s collection of model alphabets, sample layouts, and real-world examples was a staple in sign shops throughout the country. Atkinson, Sign Painting Up to Now, Chicago, 1913 (1st Ed., 1909)įrank H. The Archive holds several editions of Writing & Illuminating & Lettering, including the first edition. He’s also known for his logo and sans-serif type for the London Underground.
Widely regarded as the father of modern calligraphy, Edward Johnston championed the use of the broad-edged pen as a writing tool and sparked a generation of British lettering artists and typographers, including Eric Gill. Edward Johnston, Writing & Illuminating & Lettering, 14th Ed. This later manual includes exercises to practice the “hinge action of the forearm” for creating round and straight strokes.
Early 20th-century Manuals Charles Paxton Zaner, Lessons in Ornamental Penmanship, Revised Ed., Columbus, OH, 1933 (1st Ed., 1909)Īt the Zanerian College, founded in 1888, business clerks learned the elegant Zaner-Bloser Script and the role of muscle movement in good penmanship. What sets it apart are its multiple foldout plates with instructions for cutting and holding a quill (including a curious ribbon restraint to maintain the hand position), planning page layouts, and determining stroke angle. Writing books can be all-inclusive, with hundreds of pages, but this Dutch example is much briefer. Oomkens (printer), Handleiding tot de Schrijftkunst, Leyden, 1830. Petrus Josephus Boonekamp (calligrapher), D. Our collection of writing books has grown significantly in the last year, and we’re in the midst of listing them and adding several dozen to the Online Archive. This comprehensive volume by Michael Baurenfield in 1716 includes instructions for various styles, including Fraktur, Roman, ornamental capitals, constructed Roman capitals, and non-Latin scripts like Hebrew. Typically printed from engraved metal plates, writing books served both as teaching tools and elaborate demonstration pieces for the writing master, engraver, and printer. Tap or click on any thumbnail for a full view. Michael Baurenfeind (calligrapher), Christoph Weigel (engraver/printer), Vollkommene Wiederherstellung der bisher in Verfall gekommenen gründlich und zierlichen Schreib-Kunst, Nürnberg, 1716.
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