Writing & Illuminating, & Lettering

by Edward Johnston

Exercises in letter form and arrangement, more profitable than mere paper “designing,” might be devised by the craftsman. Inscriptions might be cut—on a small scale—in gesso or chalk, or inscriptions might be variously spaced and arranged on a properly coloured surface—such as a drawing-board covered with light or dark cloth—in letters cut out of sheet-lead or card.

BIBLIOGRAPHY, &C.

The few books and pamphlets given below are generally, of recent date, practical, and inexpensive. The prices quoted are, I believe, those at which the books are generally sold (not necessarily their published prices). They are all illustrated, except Nos. *9, 10, 11, and 19.

• WRITING, &c. (See also Nos. 8, 12, 14, 19, 28, 29, and 31.)
  • 1. The Story of the Alphabet: Edward Clodd, 1900. 9d.
  • 2. Greek and Latin Palæography: Edward Maunde Thompson. 3s. 9d. (The extracts in these pp. [36], [41], [416], &c., are from the 2nd edition, 1894.)
  • 3. The Journal of the Society of Arts, No. 2726, Feb. 17, 1905; Papers on [p386] Calligraphy and Illumination: Edward Johnston and Graily Hewitt. 6d.
  • 4. Fac-similés de Manuscrits Grecs, Latins et Français du V^e au XIV^e Siècle exposés dans la Galerie Mazarine: Bibliothèque Nationale Département des Manuscrits. 5s.
  • 5. “A Guide to the Manuscripts” in the British Museum, 1906 (30 plates). 6d.
  • 6. Bible Illustrations: Oxford University Press, 1896. About 2s.
• ILLUMINATION, &c. (See also Nos. 3, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29, and 31.)
  • 7. Illuminated Letters and Borders: John W. Bradley, 1901 (19 plates). (Price at South Kensington Museum) 1s. 8d.
  • 8. English Illuminated Manuscripts: Sir E. M. Thompson, 1895. (Now out of print.)
  • *9. The Journal of the Society of Arts, No. 2368, April 8, 1898; a Paper on English Art in Illuminated Manuscripts: Sir E. M. Thompson. 6d.
  • *10. The Book of the Art of Cennino Cennini (a contemporary practical treatise on 14th-century Italian painting): Translated by Christiana J. Herringham, 1899. 6s.
  • *11. Some Hints on Pattern Designing: (lecture, 1881), William Morris, 1899. 2s. 6d.
  • (11a. “Books for the Bairns.—No. 50,” contains 55 reproductions of Bewick’s Birds. 1d.)
• BOOKS—MANUSCRIPT & PRINTING. (See also Nos. 2 to 9, and 29 and 31.)
  • 12. Books in Manuscript: Falconer Madan, 1893. 6s. (Frontispiece drawn from this by permission.)
  • 13. The Story of Books: Gertrude Burford Rawlings, 1901. 9d.
  • [p387]
  • 14. The Old Service-Books of the English Church: Christopher Wordsworth and Henry Littlehales, 1904. 7s. 6d.
  • 15. Early Illustrated Books: Alfred W. Pollard, 1893. 6s.
  • 16. Facsimiles [in colour] from Early Printed Books in the British Museum, 1897. 7s. 6d.
  • 17. A Guide to the Exhibition in the King’s Library (illustrating the History of Printing, Music Printing, and Bookbinding): British Museum, 1901 (36 illustrations). 6d.
  • 18. “Arts and Crafts Essays by Members of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society”—Printing: William Morris and Emery Walker—(1st pub. 1893), 1899. 2s. 6d.
  • *19. “Ecce Mundus,” containing The Book Beautiful: T. J. Cobden-Sanderson, 1902. 2s. 6d.
  • 20. Printing (a technological handbook): Charles Thomas Jacobi, 1898. 3s. 9d.
  • 21. Bookbinding and the Care of Books (The Artistic Crafts Series of Technical Handbooks), 1901: Douglas Cockerell. 5s.
  • 22. A Note on Bookbinding: Douglas Cockerell, 1904. 1d.
• HERALDRY, SYMBOLISM, &c. (See also Nos. 1, 12, 15, 29, and 31.)
  • 23. The Journal of the Society of Arts, No. 2309, Feb. 19, 1897; A Paper on The Artistic Treatment of Heraldry: by W. H. St. John Hope. 6d.
  • 24. English Heraldry: Charles Boutell, 1867. 6th ed. 1899, about 3s. 9d.
  • 25. The Stall Plates of the Knights of the Garter, 1348–1485: W. H. St. John Hope (90 coloured plates, Imp. 8vo). About £3. [p388]
  • 26. Didron’s Christian Iconography (or the History of Christian Art in the Middle Ages): 2 vols. 3s. 9d. (each).
• LETTERING, &c. (See also Nos. 1 to 8, and 12 to 20.)
  • 27. Lettering in Ornament: Lewis F. Day, 1902. 5s.
  • 28. Alphabets: Edward F. Strange (1st ed. 1895). 4th ed., 3s. 9d.
  • 29. The Palæographical Society’s Publications (out of print), containing hundreds of facsimiles (chiefly of MSS.), are of great interest. They may of course be seen in the British Museum Library. The New Palæographical Society publishes a selection of facsimiles annually.
  • 30. Hübner’s Exempla Scripturae Epigraphicae Latinae a Caesaris dictatoris morte ad aetatem Justiniani (Berlin, 1885, price 46s.) contains many fine outline drawings of ancient Roman inscriptions (see figs. [203]–[5]). It is kept with the books of reference in the Reading Room at the British Museum.
  • 31. Photographs of fine pieces of lettering may be obtained at the Book Stall in South Kensington Museum (see [ footnote, p. 409]).

Original MSS. or Inscriptions—from which we can learn much more than from photographs or drawings—may be found in most parts of the country, and in London especially in the British Museum, South Kensington Museum (see p. [391]), the Record Office (Rolls Chapel, see p. [11]), and Westminster Abbey (MSS. in the Chapter-House).

FOOTNOTES TO APPENDIX A:

[90] p. 224, J. C. Egbert’s “Introduction to the Study of Latin Inscriptions,”—1896.

[91] If there is sufficient room left on the terminal page for a clearly marked beginning (such as a decorative initial), the next chapter may begin there, and so fill the page—but generally there is no objection to leaving blank what the text has failed to fill.

[92] The line need not always be filled by the writing (p. [425]).

[93] It would not be necessary for the first page of a chapter to have the ordinary dropped head and blank upper space if a fine initial or decorative heading were used to mark it.