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http://i.imgur.com/lQyI6VY.jpg http://i.imgur.com/fLP1JTF.jpg http://i.imgur.com/Lmytvlt.jpg Snell was born in 1670, died in 1733. This book of his was published in 1712, having been engraved by George Bickham. Bickham commented on Snell's work in the introduction: "the Originals of that BOOK were the Best I ever wrought after: And tho' I have for the most part, kept close to the Proportion of the Letter, yet I think it impossible for any Engraver to Reach that Delicacy and Spirit, that is produced from the Freedom and Boldness of his Hand" Snell was apprenticed as a boy to a writing master of no particular note, but through his tireless study and practise from engraved works of Louis Barbedor (the French writing master) he attained great skill. Joseph Champion was a pupil of Snell. Snell's work was greatly admired at the time. Snell was also an expert accountant, bookkeeper and arithmetician and taught those subjects as well as penmanship. Scans on flickr here: http://tinyurl.com/pp4x4py There is a biography of Snell here: http://tinyurl.com/neln3kc A .zip of these scans is available here: https://mega.co.nz/#!iZ1mCKyA!CntxQlRI8SaIxNj4rZI4QH-F3VBxqBEXnOn8_K5HPUs I especially liked this plate of German Text (Fraktur): http://www.flickr.com/photos/21860485@N06/11383673546/in/set-72157638694372886

http://i.imgur.com/QFgaUVj.jpg http://i.imgur.com/BT2QAIT.jpg http://i.imgur.com/rVNaj7t.jpg (The first plate above says "Bartholomeus it is meete and most convenient" etc etc) Richard Gething was born in Herefordshire, perhaps in 1585, and at some point in his life travelled to and worked in London. Massey describes him as being in the company of the "heads and fathers" of English calligraphy and that he deserves our "highest commendation". You might have heard of or read Sir Ambrose Heal's "The English Writing - Masters and Their Copybooks 1570 - 1800": this copy of Calligraphotechnia once belonged to him and has his bookplates and some notes by him written in it. This book also once belonged to one Nathaniell Adams, who wrote his name in it in 1654(? not sure about the last digit). Note the elaborate knot which is part of his signature. There is a specific name for such a knot, but I forgot what it was. Short biography of Richard Gething here: http://preview.tinyurl.com/qgn9p89 A .zip containing all the scans is here: https://mega.co.nz/#!SJ0mXDRL!F4dU8mcqB0SR25_cULhQCA6_M2h4GH2lqf__QAu0RPs And I've uploaded the scans on flickr here: http://tinyurl.com/ou9oh93