Historic alphabets & initials, woodcut & ornamental | Collections | The Huntington

Historic alphabets & initials, woodcut & ornamental | Collections | The Huntington

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Welby's Book of Alphabets, for Ornamental Penmen, Professional Letterers, and Students, with Practical Directions for Lettering, Illuminating, etc
Visual Materials
One penmanship book entitled Welby's Book of Alphabets, for Ornamental Penmen, Professional Letterers, and Students, with Practical Directions for Lettering, Illuminating, etc., by Edward Welby, published by Hall & Whiting, Boston, Massachusetts, 1880. The book begins with 10 unnumbered pages of introductory and instructional text which contain information about what kinds of materials to use and how to use them. The remainder of the book consists of 24 unnumbered pages of sample alphabets- one per page- in a variety of plain and decorative fonts. Space is provided below each letter for copying. The sample fonts are identified as: Roman, Italic, Roman, Italic, Egyptian, Engrossing, Engrossing, Old English, Old English, German Text, German Text, Old English Ornamented, German Text Ornamented, Italic Ornamented, Roman Ornamented, Roman Ornamented, Ornamental, Gothic Initials, Church Text, French, Celtic. The last unidentified alphabet is a wonderfully whimsical array of human figures, some with objects, formed to create letters. This book has not been written in. "Price, 75 cents" is printed on the front cover, below the title.
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Dean's Italian alphabet
Visual Materials
Image of a page of calligraphy and penmanship examples featuring an eagle surrounded by the alphabet in Italian style script.
priJLC_EDU_003833
Image not available
Billy Blew-Away's alphabetical, orthographical & philological picture book for learners
Rare Books
Child's humorous alphabet book by G.F. Godfrey. Each page is devoted to one letter of the alphabet, with W,X, and Y sharing a page. Each letter is accompanied by words, phrases, and illustrations. An Oct. 7, 1882 review in The Critic (v. 2, no. 46, p. 270) notes that although readers of all ages will be "vastly amused," the book is "unfortunately...marred by a touch of vulgarity."
610394
System of Industrial Art Drawing: Ornamentation
Visual Materials
One drawing book entitled System of Industrial Art Drawing: Ornamentation, by E. Croasdale, published by J.M. Stoddart & Co., Philadelphia, copyright 1876. Also printed on the front cover is: "Issued in sets from the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, by E. Croasdale, Principal, Second Series, Number Three." This book contains 7 plates (plate VIII is wanting) of Egyptian design and motif. Each plate is faced by a blank page intended for copying. This book is vertically oriented, with the cover and pages intended to be lifted up, instead of to the left, as usual.
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Single and double hand alphabet
Visual Materials
Image of a chart of the single- and double-handed alphabet in sign language as used in the United States in the 19th century with accompanying text; bust-length portraits of the Abbe de L'Epee and Miss Laura Bridgeman at top left and right; eye-level view of the "Institution for the Deaf and Dumb" on the east side of the Hudson River in New York at center.
priJLC_EDU_001930
Image not available
Ancient typographical curiosities, and ornamental woodcuts; of the 15th. 16th. and 17th. centuries
Rare Books
Collection of title pages (from English and continental books), woodcut and engraved illustrations, printer's devices, woodcut devices and woodcut initials probably compiled in the mid or late 19th century. Also includes some manuscript facsimiles, ms. title pages for the various sections, ms. annotations and an index at the end.
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