Quote of the Week: Edward Johnston

For it is certain that we must teach ourselves how to make beautiful things, and must have some notion of the aim and bent of our work, what we seek and what we do.

Edward Johnston
Writing and Illuminating and Lettering 

This week's quote comes from a very special book--one that is special to me for several reasons. 

Most of you know my dear blogging friend, Ellen, The Happy Wonderer.  Ellen is one of the most encouraging, uplifting people I have ever met online.  If you know her, you know that she is and amazing thrift shopper.  Her "finds" are legendary.  And if you know her, you also know that she takes time to get to know people. 

This week I was the delighted beneficiary of her thoughtfulness and her shopping acumen.  Ellen was browsing the used books offered at her local library and came across two great calligraphy books and she thought of me.  Not only did she think of me, she took photos of the books (inside and out!) and put them on hold in case I wanted them.  And did I ever! 

I  have always loved old books and have always wanted a copy of Edward Johnston's classic, "Writing and Illuminating and Lettering" so I was delighted to have the opportunity to snag an old copy of it.  This book was published in 1906 and is the quintessential calligraphy resource.  My own is a tenth edition, printed in 1918.  It has clearly been re-bound at some point.  The pages are yellowed and a little fragile.  Just opening the book gave me a sense of history and wonderment about the other calligraphers who have read this book and been influenced by it.

A little about the author:  Edward Johnston single-handedly brought back the modern interest in calligraphy during the Arts and Crafts movement in England at the end of the 19th century.  He was the developer of my favorite hand, the Foundational Hand, based on the Ramsay Psalter, a manuscript from the late 900's.  It is the calligrapher's bread and butter hand.  In my opinion, if you get Johnston's foundational hand down pat, you're way ahead of the game. 

This is the ultimate "how to" book.  Four hundred eighty-seven pages in length, this book is truly a treatise on the art and craft of calligraphy.  He writes about the full range of topics from tools to technique, to application of color and guilding; to bookmaking and illumination, to alphabets and their development, however, there are very few pictures and examples.  I've only read the editor's and artist's preface so far and can't wait to wade in to its deep waters.

Thank you, Ellen.

(I'll share a little bit about the other book she snagged for me soon!) 

Comments

[rebecca]

I love it! Especially the way you got it.