Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Anne s home collection. Most of the comments are my own. However, comments in quotes were usually taken from the dust jacket of backs of books. Collections Child, Heather. 1963. Calligraphy Today. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc. Black and white. 112 pp., $9.95, ISBN 0-8008-1186-0. Cloutier, James. 1986. Letters From the Heart: An Alphabet of Affection. Eugene, OR: Image West Press. A small, paperback volume with embossed letters on the cover. This simple book consists of an italic majuscule letter of the left page and text, usually illiterations, on the right. Cloutier is an artist (calligraphy, cartoons, photography) and writer from Oregon. Pages not numbered, but it goes A through Z., $5.95, ISBN 0-918966-11-6. Contemporary Calligraphy: Modern scribes and lettering artists II. 1986. Boston: David R. Godine, Publisher, Inc. A great collection. The majority is in black and white, a result of the publication date. 168 pp., $19.95, ISBN 0-87923-877-1. Fink, Joanne and Judy Kastin. 1993. Lettering Arts. Glen Grove, NY: PBC International, Inc. Divided into four sections: alphabet designs, commercial lettering, calligraphic art, and select lettering arts. An outstanding and visually rewarding book. 192 pp., $35 (?) paper bound, ISBN 0-86636-285-1. Gullick, Michael. 1989. Words of Risk: The art of Thomas Ingmire. Norman, OK: Calligraphy Review Editions. 89 pp., $25, ISBN 0-9622349-0-7. Harris, David. 1991. Calligraphy: Modern masters art, inspiration, and technique. New York: Crescent Books. Highlights 20 world-class calligraphers.;72 color, 237 black and white illustrations. 128 pp., ISBN 0-517-06700-5. International Typeface Corporation. 1982. International Calligraphy Today. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications. Foreword by Hermann Zapf; Introduction by Philip Grushkin and Jeanyee Wong. 191 pp., $24.95, ISBN 0-8230-2556-X.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 2 Pott, Gottfried. 1989. Workshop Impression. Hardheim, Germany: Die Kalligraphie Edition. This book is dedicated in gratitude to the initiator of summer workshops in Offenbach, Prof. Karlgeorg Hoefer and the visiting instructor, Villu Toots from Tallinn, USSR. Written in German and English, this soft-bound book offers an essay on these summer workshops in Germany as well as an alphabet of majuscules, freely written with a ruling pen, accompanied by Pott s exquisite, controlled roman capitals, and the appropriate italic miniscule. No page numbers, but the text runs a few more pages than the 26 letters. $14.95, no ISBN. Rosselli de Rodrîguez-Benîtez, Maruxa. 1990. Una hoja del ârbol del la vida [One leaf of the tree of life]. Puerto Rico [?]. This slim publication has full-color reproductions of a calligraphy exhibition in memory of Guillermo Rodrîguez-Benîtez, a prominent citizen, banker, and artists, and patron of the arts, especially calligraphy, from Puerto Rico. Among the artists represented in this memorial are Helrmann Zapf, Joan Pilsbury, Villu Toots, John Stevens, Sheila Waters, Julian Waters, and Donald Jackson. I paid $5.00. No ISBN. Stevens, John. 1993. Calligraphy & Lettering. No publisher given. I believe this was printed as a promotional item for Stevens. This slim volume (32 pages) displays Stevens stunning mastery of not only a broad range of scripts, but also of layout, and passion, and control. Printed in three colors. Stevens, John. N.D. Characters with Character. No publisher given. I believe this was printed as a promotional item for Stevens, a highly accomplished calligrapher and graphic designer. His original work is in both public and private collections throughout the world and his work has graced the covers of Time, Newsweek, and many a book jacket, album cover, and television screen. He designs logotypes and titling (type) for clients such as Atlantic Records, Lucasfilm, Macy s, IBM, United Airlines, HBO, and many advertising, publishing, entertainment and financial firms. This slim volume (pages not numbered) shows some of Stevens range and versatility. Washington Calligraphers Guild. 1993. Lettering Arts in the Zapf Tradition. This slim volume of about 28 pages is the selected works from the invitational exhibition in Bethesda, Maryland, in October 1993. Julian Waters wrote the introduction. Many pages have one, and some have two, pieces reproduced from this show. Historical Books Anderson, Donald M. 1969. The Art of Written Forms: The theory and practice of calligraphy. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc. Now out in Dover paperback, this book by Anderson, of the University of Wisconsin, is a great history book. I picked it up in a used book store while it was out of print. A good, solid book. 358 pp.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 3 Backhouse, Janet. 1981. The Lindisfarne Gospels. London: Phaidon Press Limited. The Lindisfarne Gospels, a manuscript produced in the Northumbiran island monastery of Lindisfarne at the end of the seventh century, in honour of Saint Cuthbert, is one of the world s masterpieces of book painting. It is a precious relic of early Christianity in England, and one of the nation s greatest treasures. Backhouse gives a historical account of this manuscript: how it was made and by whom, as well as a look at who Saint Cuthbert was. Many full-color reproductions of some of the pages. 96 pp., $14.95, ISBN 0-748-2461-5. Baker, Arthur. 1980. Arthur Baker s Historic Calligraphic Alphabets. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. This book has little history and a lot of Baker. In general, there are many books that offer more than Baker s. 89 pp., $3.50, ISBN 0-486-24054-1. Bologna, Giulia. 1995. Illuminated Manuscripts: The book before Gutenberg. Avenel, NJ: Crescent Books. Original publication in 1988. This is a gorgeous book with many full color plates. To be honest, I haven t read a thing from it, I ve just been enjoying looking at it. I bought this from a discount catalog, but since it was originally at $50 sold at $25, I went to the university library to see what it looked like. Bologna is director of Milan s Biblioteca Trivulziana, one of Europe s most important libraries of manuscript books. 199 pp., $50, ISBN 0-517-12083-6. Brown, Peter. 1980. The Book of Kells: Forty-eight pages and details in color from the manuscript in Trinity College, Dublin. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. Brown is librarian of Trinity College, Dublin, the home of the Book of Kells, one of the world s most spectacular manuscript. Created in Ireland and northern Britain between the seventh and tenth centuries, this manuscript has incredibly detailed illumination, many covering an entire page. Full-color reproductions of many of the most important pages illumination and text. 96 pp. Child, Heather, Heather Collins, Ann Hechle, and Donald Jackson. 1987. More Than Fine Writing: The life and calligraphy of Irene Wellington. Woodstock, NY: The Overlook Press. Irene Wellington [1904-1984] is considered one of the truly original figures in the development of calligraphy in our century. She influenced the transformation of calligraphy from a medieval craft to a modern art form in which personal expression played a key role. She was a student of Edward Johnston and teacher to many, including Donald Jackson. A very visually pleasing book. 141 pp., $35.00, ISBN 0-87951-269-5. Goudy, Frederick W. 1918, 1942. The Alphabet and Elements of Lettering. New York: Dorset Press (1989 printing). Goudy was a master of type design, having created more than 100 type faces during his career. This is a reprinting of two books as one. Bought used at $8.45, 101 pp., 27 plates, ISBN 0-88028-330-6.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 4 Gullick, Michael. 1996. Calligraphy: The Treasury of Decorative Art. Wakefield, RI: Moyer Bell. This is a collection of 26 full-page plates ranging from Roman cursive script (572 AD) to Thomas Ingmire (19880. Gullick is a well-respected writer about calligraphy, authoring the important Words at Risk about Ingmire s work. Jackson, Donald. 1981. The Story of Writing. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc. The master himself, Jackson weaves the story of man s magic art from its earliest beginnings to present day. It was out of print, but I think is back in print. 176 pp., $22.50, ISBN 0-8008-0172-5. Johnston, Edward. 1995. Writing & Illuminating & Lettering. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. This is a reprinting of the 1946 printing of the 1939 revision of the work originally published in 1906 in The Artistic Crafts Series of Technical Handbooks Edited by W.R. Lethaby. Got that? Edward Johnston is considered the father of modern calligraphy. It was he encouraged and inspired by William Morris, founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, and William R. Lethaby, founder and first principal of the Central School of Arts and Crafts who explored and revisited the lost art of using the broad-edged pen at the end of the 19th century. His classes were in themselves explorations. It must have been a fascinating time to be involved with the rediscover of calligraphy. This book is for the history nut. 434 pp., $13.95, ISBN 0-486-28534-0. Knight, Stan. 1984. Historical Scripts: A handbook for calligraphers. New York: Taplinger Publishing Company. This book was highly recommended by Donald Jackson ( The Queen s Scribe ) as the finest selection and reproduction of historical alphabets. Each set of pages presents a full page from a manuscript, showing the texture of the page, an enlargement of the letters, a showing of the actual size of the lettering, and a description of the manuscript and use of the hand. Includes a select bibliography. Knight is a member of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. $9.95, ISBN 0-8008-3848-3. I believe there is now a newer version. Reynolds, Lloyd. 1990. My Dear Runemeister: A voyage through the alphabet. Portland, OR: Oregon Historical Society. First edition published in 1981 by Alcuin Press, Portland, OR. A series of handwritten letters to a friend, each explaining the origin and cultural development of a single letter of the Roman alphabet. 62 pp., $9.95, ISBN 0-87595-219-4. Whalley, Joyce Irene. 1980. The Art of Calligraphy: Western Europe and America. London: Bloomsbury Books. Whalley, assistant keeper of the library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, provides an extensive history of calligraphy from Roman time to modern applications. 400 pp., ISBN 0-906223-64-4.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 5 Zaczek, Iain. 1995. Celtic Design: A Sourcebook With More Than 1500 Patterns and Motifs. Avenel, NJ: Crescent Books. Zacaek presents black and white (and some color) reproductions of hundreds of celtic motifs: knotwork, sprials, calligraphy, geometric designs, jewellery, and stonework, to name a few. Includes a bibliography. 192 pp., $11.95 (through a discount supplier), ISBN 0-517-12178-6. Instructional Books Bain, Iain. 1986. Celtic Knotwork. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Thorough and intricate instruction on the recreation of Celtic Knotwork. Son of George Bain, author of previous books on knotwork, Iain improves upon his father s methods, which many complained were difficult to use. 115 pp., $14.95, ISBN 0-8069-8638-7. Billingsley, Jim. 1993. The Illuminated Alphabet. London(?): Grange Books. A wire-bound booklet, sort of a coloring book for adults. It has a brief how-to section and then 26 drawings to use as starting points. (I bought this sight unseen from a catalog for not much money. I probably wouldn t have bought it off the shelf.) ISBN 1-85627-562-0 Charatan, Karen. 1993. ABC ZIG Calligraphy. Carlstadt, NJ: EK Success. A very fun and dynamic little book with lots of art work by a host of top calligraphers using the wonderful ZIG markers. ISBN 1-85627-562-0 Child, Heather (ed.). 1986. The Calligrapher s Handbook. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc. The source: writing instruments, pigments & media, writing surfaces, calligraphy, illumination, handwriting, printing techniques, binding techniques. Project of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators (England). 260 pp. $12.95, ISBN 0-8008-1198-4 Condron, Pat and Edie Roberts (eds.). 1982. Class Notes With Lois McClelland, Spring 82. Eugene, OR: Valley Calligraphy Guild. A slim volume packed with information put together by students of a talented and muchloved teacher (McClelland) focusing on uncial and carolingian. 22 pp., $4.00. (Valley Calligraphy Guild, 2366 Washington St., Eugene, OR 97405. Add $1.50 for shipping and handling.) Condron, Pat and Edie Roberts (eds.). 1983. Class Notes 2: Capitals and Small Pen Writing With Lois McClelland. Eugene, OR: Valley Calligraphy Guild. Another sweet volume packed with wonderful information. 32 pp., $5.00. (Valley Calligraphy Guild, 2366 Washington St., Eugene, OR 97405. Add $1.50 for shipping and handling.) Evans, George. 1995. Step by Step Techniques: Calligraphy. Edison, NJ: Chartwell Books. Has very little to offer that others don t do much better. 48 pp., ISBN 0-7858-0332-7.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 6 Fink, Joanne. 1991. The Speedball Textbook: A comprehensive guide to pen and brush lettering. 22nd ed., Statesville, NC: Hunt Manufacturing Co. This is a great book, and an impressive improvement over previous Speedball textbooks. Fink and associate editor Judy Kastin do a marvelous job of bringing together some of the world s top calligraphers for some top instruction and inspiration through samples of art work. Folson, Rose. 1990. The Calligraphers Dictionary. London: Thames and Hudson. Introduction by Hermann Zapf; 205 illustrations. Good source. 144 pp., ISBN 0-500- 01489-2. Furber, Alan. 1992. Using Calligraphy: Layout and design ideas. New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. This book gives many good examples in using thumbnails to brainstorm layouts. While not an essential book, I think it does tease ones creativity. 128 pp., $12.95, ISBN 0-8069- 8428-7. Goffe, Gaynor. 1994. Calligraphy Made Easy: A complete beginner s guide. Avenel, NJ: Crescent Books. Goffe is a fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators and worked as assistant to Donald Jackson. She s also a left-hander. Good exemplars, some design concepts, and large projects section. Book is wire-bound and lies flat. 127 pp., ISBN 0-517-10203-X. (1) Goffe, Gaynor and Anna Ravenscroft. 1994. Calligraphy School: A step-by-step guide to the fine art of lettering. Quartro Publishing, Inc. Goffe and Ravenscroft are fellows of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Excellent overall how-to book: clear directions, visually attractive, great exemplars, and large projects section. 176 pp., $21.00, ISBN 0-89577-524-7. Gourdie, Tom. 1979. Calligraphic Styles. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co. Gourdie is a respected calligrapher and teacher, but his book is weak when compared with recent offerings. For me, the strongest part of this book is the examples of other calligraphers at the back. 106 pp., ISBN 0-8008-1181-X. Haines, Susanne. 1987. The Calligrapher s Project Book. New York: Crescent Books. This book has, for me, a neat collection of why I buy books: a good gallery of great calligraphy and interesting how-tos for projects that, hopefully, spark ideas. 144 pp., ISBN 0-517-63402-3. Halliday, Peter (ed.). 1990. Calligraphy Masterclass. Woodstock, NY: Overlook Press. From thumbnail sketch to finished piece of work, 15 international calligraphers, working in a wide range of media, explain and demonstrate their design processes and techniques. Calligraphy Masterclass offers practical and imaginative advice which will help keen amateurs and professionals alike to improve and develop their calligraphic skills. 128 pp., $25.00, ISBN 0-87951-400-0.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 7 (2) Harris, David. 1995. The Art of Calligraphy: A practical guide to the skills and techniques. London: Dorling Kindersley. Harris is a well-respected teacher. This book is visually stunning. A good history book but most amazing are the exemplars: each stroke is done in a different color of transparent ink. Great photos of tricky pen manipulations. (The exemplars do show a British bias in their forms.) 128 pp., $24.95, ISBN 1-56458-849-1. Harvey, Michael. 1987. Carving Letters in Stone & Wood. London: The Bodley Head Ltd. Introduction by Hugh Casson. A good intro book from a master of letterforms here, letterforms made tactile. 64 pp., $12.95, ISBN 0-370-31019-5. Harvey, Michael. 1985. Creating Lettering: Drawing & Design. New York: Taplinger Publishing Company. Introduction by Sheila Waters. Harvey is the master of drawing letters teasing out letter and type designs. Strongly based on hand-lettering; chock full of examples. Small section on book jackets designed by Harvey. 64 pp., $795, ISBN 0-8008-1997-7. Hoare, Diana. 1989. Advanced Calligraphy Techniques: Ideas in action. Secaucus, NJ: Chartwell Books. A great book for looking at the process of design. Some sections written and illustrated by Alison Urwick, Ann Hechle, Gaynor Goffe, Stan Knight, Ewan Clayton, and others. Many techniques discussed. 144 pp., ISBN 1-55521-522-X. Hufton, Susan. 1995. Step-by-Step Calligraphy. (Title page is listed as Calligraphy Project Book: A complete step-by-step guide). New York: Sterling Publishing Co., Inc. Good explanations and exemplars. Short history sections. Large project section that shows good detail of design and execution process. 144 pp., $24.95, ISBN 0-8069-3986-9. Kastin, Judy. 1996. 100 Keys to Great Calligraphy. Cincinnati, OH: North Light. Subtitled: From practicing to finished pieces, from correcting mistakes to decorative touches, this at-a-glance guide is packed with tips and advice to make calligraphy easy. Kastin is a well-respected calligrapher and teacher, and is co-editor for Speedball Textbook and Lettering Arts. While this little spiral-bound booklet is packed with practical and creative ideas, the price seems a bit too steep. 64 pp., $17.99, ISBN 0-89134-752-6. Kaufman, Herb and Geri Homelsky. 1980. Calligraphy in the Copperplate Style. New York: Dover Publications, Inc. I m not an expert on copperplate lettering, but this book seems to me to be a solid introduction to this letterform. 31 pp., $1.75, ISBN 0-486-24037-1. Lovett, Patricia. 1993. Teach Yourself Calligraphy. Chicago: NTC Publishing Group. Good overall book. Good exemplars. Not as visually interesting as others. 252 pp.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 8 Martin, Judy. 1984. The Complete Guide to Calligraphy: Techniques and Materials. Secaucus, NJ: Chartwell Books, Inc. Written by Martin with consultant Miriam Stribley (who has executed special commissions for Queen Elizabeth II). A reasonable book, but has been greatly surpassed by recent publications.160 pp., ISBN-0-89009-675-9. Morgan, Margaret. 1995. Color Decoration & Illumination in Calligraphy. Mineola, NY: Dover Publications, Inc. Subtitle: Techniques and Projects. Has a good section on materials and good exemplars for six alphabets. The bulk of the book is devoted to projects, all encompassing color and/or fairly simple illustrations. Also has some outstanding reproductions of great British calligraphers, including Jackson, Noad, Pillsbury, and Fleuss. 96 pp., $12.95, ISBN 0-486-29507-9. Noad, Timothy. 1996. Mastering Calligraphy. North Dighton, MA: JG Press, Inc. Timothy Noad is a fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators and works for Her Majesty s College of Arms. Great exemplars and a visually attractive book. Noad highlights only three alphabets in detail, but has examples of many styles. Small projects section at the back. The book has many tips for left-handers from Gaynor Goffe. 104 pp., ISBN 1-57215-189-7. Noad, Timothy and Patricia Seligman. 1994. The Illuminated Alphabet: An inspirational introduction to creating decorative calligraphy. Philadelphia: Running Press. Calligraphy by Timothy Noad, fellow of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators. Text by Patricia Seligman. Gorgeous book with great how-to chapters on Celtic, Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, and Modern Revival styles of illuminated letters. 160 pp., $24.95, ISBN 1-56138-458-5. Pearce, Charles. 1987. The Anatomy of Letters: A guide to the art of calligraphy. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc. One of the great English calligraphers, Pearce studied under Ann Camp and Dorothy Mahoney and now works for American Greetings. Great book of exemplars written with transparent ink to show the individual strokes. 88 pp., $11.95, ISBN 0-8008-0199-7. Pearce, Charles. 1981. The Little Manual of Calligraphy. New York: Taplinger Publishing Co., Inc. One of the great English calligraphers, Pearce studied under Ann Camp and Dorothy Mahoney and now works for American Greetings. Great exemplars for five alphabets. The beauty of this book is its simplicity and the fact that it is completely handwritten beautifully done. Small history section. 32 pp., $3.95, ISBN 0-8008-4923-X. Reaves, Marilyn and Eliza Schulte. 1994. Brush Lettering: An instructional manual in western brush calligraphy. New York: Design Books. By two of the top brush calligraphers in the U.S., this book has great exemplars for many styles using edged and pointed brushes. 176 pp., $19.95, ISBN 1-55821-269-8.
Anne s Annotated Calligraphy Bibliography Page 9 Reynolds, Lloyd. 1969. Italic Calligraphy and Handwriting: Exercises and text. New York: Pentallic Corp. The original little red book of calligraphy. Reynolds is responsible for the explosion of calligraphy interest in the U.S., especially the Pacific Northwest. 23 plates. Robertson, Jean K. 1926. The Calligraphy Source Book: A book of lettering. (Originally published by A & C Black Ltd., reprinted in 1993; printed in China, no identifiable publisher.) This book has no instruction, only pages of examples, some of which are drawn, not penmade letters. Included are alphabets for cross-stitch and leather tooling. I bought this sight-unseen from a discount catalog very disappointing. 48 pp., (less than $5) ISBN 1-85422-446-8. Winters, Eleanor. 1989. Mastering Copperplate Calligraphy: A step-by-step manual. New York: Gramercy Books. Winters is a highly respected calligrapher and teacher and, since 1979, editor of The Calligraphers Engagement Calendar. Again, I m not an expert on copperplate, but this appears to be thorough instruction, giving many variations. I just wish there were more examples of finished pieces. 192 pp., ISBN 0-517-10134-3. Young, Caroline. 1990. Calligraphy: From beginner to expert, an Usborne guide. Tulsa, OK: EDC Publishing. A fun intro book aimed especially at kids but good enough for adults. Good exemplars and great project ideas. 48 pp., $7.95, ISBN 0-7460-0426-5. Young, Caroline. 1990. Complete Book of Calligraphy. Tulsa, OK: EDC Publishing. Part One: Calligraphy, by Caroline Young. Part Two: Calligraphy Projects, by Fiona Watt and Anna Rowley. A fun intro book aimed especially at kids but good enough for adults. Good exemplars and great project ideas. Part two is full of projects not included in the shorter version (Calligraphy: From beginner to expert). 80 pp., $9.95, ISBN 0-7460-2146-1. Revised: 2000