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Decorative Alphabets and Initials by Alexander Nesbitt (1959, Trade Paperback)
Prepbooks (227749)
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$14.82
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Condition:
Language: English. Number of Pages: 192. Weight: 1.17 lbs. Publication Date: 1959-06-01. Publisher: DOVER PUBN INC.
- Buy It NowDecorative Alphabets And Initials
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About this product
Product Identifiers
PublisherDover Publications, Incorporated
ISBN-100486205444
ISBN-139780486205441
eBay Product ID (ePID)167497
Product Key Features
Book TitleDecorative Alphabets and Initials
Number of Pages192 Pages
LanguageEnglish
Publication Year1959
TopicClip Art, Techniques / Calligraphy, General, Decorative Arts
IllustratorYes
GenreDesign, Art, Reference
AuthorAlexander Nesbitt
Book SeriesLettering, Calligraphy, Typography Ser.
FormatTrade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Weight18.4 Oz
Item Length11 in
Item Width8.2 in
Additional Product Features
Intended AudienceTrade
Dewey Decimal745.6
Synopsis91 complete alphabets -- medieval to modern -- 3,927 decorative initials, including Victorian novelty and Art Nouveau., Ninety-one complete alphabets -- medieval to modern -- include 3,924 decorative initials, including Victorian novelty and Art Nouveau. These alphabets were obtained from rare, out-of-print books, generally available only in libraries or in the rare-book market., 91 complete alphabets - medieval to modern - 3,927 decorative initials, including Victorian novelty and Art Nouveau., This unusual Dover publication presents a singular opportunity to the artist, crafter, designer, illustrator, printer, or other user of letter designs to have always at hand a rich store of inspiration and a swipe-file. More important, you may reproduce any initial or alphabet in this volume free of charge, without asking permission. The work is all royalty-free; when you buy the book, you buy the reproduction rights to any individual part of it. The price is less than you would pay to professional archives for one copy of the letter. There are 123 full-page plates including 91 complete alphabets in widely differing styles. In all, there are 3,924 initial letters. These alphabets were obtained from rare, out-of-print books, generally available only in libraries or in the rare-book market. They were reproduced directly from the pages of a large and expensive collection that was made specifically for the production of this volume. Since they are direct reproductions, they will all reproduce again excellently. The book has been carefully arranged and annotated by the compiler so that the student of letters and types may have a complete understanding of decorative alphabets and initials. The work is divided into three parts. Part One deals entirely with manuscript initials as they were used from the eighth to the fifteenth centuries. It includes Celtic initials, rare designs from the Bible of Charles the Bald, and incised letters from the monument of Richard II in Westminster Abbey. Part Two contains initials from printed books, starting with the fifteenth century and running through the eighteenth. Here are the fanciful creations of the sixteenth-century woodcutters; initials illustrated with children, cherubs, birds, beasts, flowers, legends, and grotesque heads. The work of the later engravers, writing masters, and baroque and rococo designers follows in order. Part Three attempts to arrange the "great weedy jungle" of Victorian letters and types and concludes with twentieth-century alphabets such as the distinctive wood engraving of Edward Wadsworth. Each section has a historical introduction, and each plate has a descriptive caption.
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Ratings and Reviews
Most relevant reviews
- Mar 19, 2025
In great condition, great content
Book in very good condition. Lots of great ideas for decorative elements with letters.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Feb 08, 2022
Very creative!
This book has a lot of beautiful alphabets for your art projects. They are copyright free so you can use them however you’d like.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jul 27, 2021
Great book. Would buy again
Great decorative alphabet book. I do calligraphy and love the fact the letters are copyright free! Beautiful letters and initials.Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
- Nov 02, 2015
Not for tattooing
It just wasn't what I needed. I'm looking for a tattooing guide. This book has little to no usability in that regard.Verified purchase: YesCondition: Pre-owned
- Jan 14, 2020
Great book!
Beautiful examples and well worth having!Verified purchase: YesCondition: New
