Edward Johnston's 1906 handbook explains the crafts of writing, illuminating, and lettering, with diagrams and examples. Part of the Artistic Crafts series, it discusses tools, materials, and historical scripts. It is worth listening to as a reliable introduction to the techniques and traditions of fine lettering.
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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).
Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.
Opening of the book
THE ARTISTIC CRAFTS SERIES
OF TECHNICAL HANDBOOKS
EDITED BY W. R. LETHABY
WRITING & ILLUMINATING,
AND LETTERING
Frontispiece.
A SCRIPTORIUM
This drawing (about two-fifths of the linear size of the original) is made from a photograph of a miniature painted in an old MS.
(written in 1456 at the Hague by Jean Mielot, Secretary to Philip the
Good, Duke of Burgundy), now in the Paris National Library (MS.
Fonds français 9,198).
It depicts Jean Mielot himself, writing his collection of Miracles of
Our Lady in French. His parchment appears to be held steady by a weight and also by (? the knife or filler in) his left hand—compare fig. 41 in this book. Above there is a sort of reading desk, holding
MSS. for copying or reference.
WRITING & ILLUMINATING, & LETTERING. BY EDWARD
JOHNSTON. WITH DIAGRAMS & ILLUSTRATIONS BY THE AUTHOR
& NOEL ROOKE 8 pp. EXAMPLES IN RED & BLACK AND 24 pp. OF
COLLOTYPES. PUBLISHED BY JOHN HOGG 13 PATERNOSTER ROW
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