Art Nouveau Lettering Guide

[HalloweenHJB]

Hello everyone:

I found a book on lettering that my great-grandfather had on his desk for his entire life: Letters & Lettering: A Treatise with 200 Examples, by Frank Chouteau Brown, Boston: Bates & Guild, 1909. In it, he had a handwritten guide for writing in the latest style --early 1900s. He was an architect by profession, and he wrote exactly like this for the rest of his very long life --he died at the age of 96 in 1974. Letters from him were works of art. Sadly, I did not save any.

Thought I'd share it with you, in case anyone wanted to work on adding this to their repertoire. Perhaps someone out there knows a name for this style of writing...

[Ted F]

Your great-grandfather, being an architect, would probably have printed like this because that is what he would have done on his blueprints. It must be a great book to look at and read.

[inkstainedruth]

Thanks for posting about this. Very cool. I'm a fan of Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau stuff just in general.

I looked the book up online and it appears to be out of print, but still available in reprint from Amazon. It's also available at archive.org (but the .pdf download is quite large -- 244 pp.).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[HalloweenHJB]

Thanks for posting about this. Very cool. I'm a fan of Arts and Crafts and Art Nouveau stuff just in general.

I looked the book up online and it appears to be out of print, but still available in reprint from Amazon. It's also available at archive.org (but the .pdf download is quite large -- 244 pp.).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

Good to know. I used to spend hours looking at that book --dreaming of the day I might be able to write using some of the many alphabets illustrated. I have the book still, but being 106 years old, it's somewhat delicate. I'll have to check the digital version. Thanks!

[Tasmith]

Very cool! Thanks for sharing!

 

And thank you Inkstainedruth for the digital version!

Edited April 5, 2015 by Tasmith

[httpmom]

HalloweenHJB Don't you just love it when you find old family things? This is such a item. How lucky for you. And thanks for the digital info inkstainedruth

[HalloweenHJB]

HalloweenHJB Don't you just love it when you find old family things? This is such a item. How lucky for you. And thanks for the digital info inkstainedruth

 

[sidthecat]

It's on Amazon in paperback for 18 bucks. I may have to indulge.

[HalloweenHJB]

HalloweenHJB Don't you just love it when you find old family things? This is such a item. How lucky for you. And thanks for the digital info inkstainedruth

 

The title page of the book has the monogram he designed for himself in 1910. "LEL 1910" (his name was Louis E. Langille).

 

[VivienR]

Wow, that could be a true treasure for you. I downloaded from archive.org, will look it.

[Tasmith]

 

The title page of the book has the monogram he designed for himself in 1910. "LEL 1910" (his name was Louis E. Langille).

 

Very cool!

[kansaskyle]

I tried the online version, but the ones I looked at didn't have any pictures. I assume the reproduction would have the full diagrams, which might reveal some interesting character sets to emulate.

[HalloweenHJB]

I tried the online version, but the ones I looked at didn't have any pictures. I assume the reproduction would have the full diagrams, which might reveal some interesting character sets to emulate.

 

 

Exactly so. It's all about the sample alphabets. Just a sample:

 

[sidthecat]

I ordered the useless version without pictures and Amazon said: "Don't even bother to send it back." Then I found a used edition. It's fantastic! It's a real relic of a former world - optimized for the thoroughly extinct profession of signpainter, which died out at the start of the Letraset era. It's not really for handwriting, but if you like lettering you'll cherish it.

[HalloweenHJB]

I ordered the useless version without pictures and Amazon said: "Don't even bother to send it back." Then I found a used edition. It's fantastic! It's a real relic of a former world - optimized for the thoroughly extinct profession of signpainter, which died out at the start of the Letraset era. It's not really for handwriting, but if you like lettering you'll cherish it.

 

Indeed!