To all Letterheads... What OLD books from the old masters do you keep on your shelf and refer to, or just keep around because they tell about the old ways? IE: 1900 -1950's I've seen a few old books printed with black & white photos of extravagant signs of the thirties and fourties, beautiful showcards, huge structures that hung over theatres, etc. but never caught the books names or authors. If I can supply names and authors to my local 'used' book store, he can possibly track some down. If you can recommend books that show the old way of hand lettering, or construction or design....please post them here for all to look for.
Many thanks! Sue
------------------ Susan Banasky Source Signs Nanaimo, British Columbia sourcesigns@telus.net
When in need....go directly to the "Source"!
Proud Supporter of this "Knowledge Network"!
Posted by TBUK (Member # 443) on :
Hey ya Sue,, one of my Fav... is the mirror in the bathroom,,, I keep ask`n, the ole fart if he knows a better way of doing things,,,,funny he just stares back at me,,,, and in the same mundane voice, in real time ask me the same question.....
One of these days,,, I am go`a, scrape the paint from the back of that looking glass,,, and step right through,,, to another world,,, O' my ears and whiskers I'm Late I'm Late.... tbuk
TAKE IT FROM HERE,,,,Edward J. Duvall,,,, 1957,,,, GREAT BOOK...
AND a book on sign bizz, by Gergory,,, In which My wife wrote.... I will always love You''''. from Eturnity,,..
I read that passage a few years after her Death,,, in a search for a letter style....
Got more then I was looking for,,,,but just short of forever,,Twain,TBuk.
Sue ...Mike Jackson is a collector of the books you are talking about...if you want the real scoop or even want to locate some of the best ,contact him he buys trades and sells them. He probably has one of the best collections around.
------------------ Monte Jumper SIGNLanguage/Norman.Okla.
[This message has been edited by Monte Jumper (edited February 22, 2001).]
Posted by David Fisher (Member # 107) on :
"Slapstick" or "Lonesome No More" by Kurt Vonnegut "The Diceman" cant remember the author. "The Hitch Hikers Guide To the Galaxy" Douglas Adams "The MacQuarrie Dictionary" MacQuarrie University "Pirx The Pilot" Stanislaw Lem
Oh you mean sign books, well these ones help make a better more rounded attitute so thats gotta flow on to your work.
------------------ D.A. & P.M. Fisher Signwriting Brisbane Australia da_pmf@yahoo.com
Posted by Duncan Wilkie (Member # 132) on :
My personal favorites are two by E.C.Matthews. His books were my inspiration when I was getting started in the late 60's. Makes me want to go to St. Louis and see if some of his art is still around. Bought my first supplies and booklets from Kaufmann sign supply. ....Memories
Susan; I have found the "Frank Atkinsons" books very good from old alphabets and layouts, to making your own paint. I have one hard cover copywrite 1909 by Frederick J. Drake & Co. Chicago. containing 375 pages of what seems to be complete in its coverage of sign painting from that era, and another soft cover updated publication copywrite 1950 by Stanly Ruff, Jackson Mississippi. Both of these publications are scarce, but most dealers arn't aware of their value,for example, I found the Hardcover in a Kennybunkport Maine bookstore for $15.00, the softcover I have had since the 50's, personally autographed by Atkinson.
Kurtzman
------------------ Creative communication since 1959
Posted by Henry Barker (Member # 174) on :
I was back home in the UK last summer and often go to Hay-on-Wye it is one of the worlds largest sources for secondhand books, I found a few lettering books, some quite pricey some not,one of them is "New Letters and Lettering" by Paul Cárlyle and Guy Oring text by Herbert Richland, its copyright of McGraw-Hill Book Company New York and London, 1938, and 1943, books by same author are Layouts and Letterheads, Learning to Letter, and Design and decoration. On the first page it says "To men of Letters" !!
------------------ Henry Barker #1924 akaKaftan SignCraft AB Stockholm, Sweden. A little bit of England in a corner of Stockholm www.signcraft.se info@signcraft.se
Posted by Ingrid (Member # 179) on :
Where do I start. These are not necessarily all old, but they do have a lot of good stuff. Art books (especially art nouveau), sculpture, antique advertising, old movie posters, carving, pub and beer paraphernalia, gas station signs, cigar labels, pinstriping, victorian, fairground art, carriage design and of course the Atkinson, E.C. Mathews, Alf Becker, Letterhead magazine, etc............. You can never have enough books.
------------------
Posted by Graham Hodge (Member # 168) on :
The Bible mostly, helps me cope. Good question!
------------------ Gray Hodge Cam River Signs Somerset, Tasmania.
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
The Atkinson book was reprinted by ST Publications (Signs of the Times Magazine) a few years ago; if they no longer have them try Esoteric Supply (Rick Glawson) in Wilmington, CA. Atkinson is a "go to" book whenever I'm designing; the book with the Atkinson plates done in color (also published by ST) is very valuable as well. Then there's Henderson Sign Painting, that has a lot of work by John Ohnimus, and Strong's Book of Design, both of which are also ST reprints. Signcraft Magazine has published two books by Gary Anderson, and while they are not old, they are instant "classics" and indespensible for the sign designer's library, as is the LeBlanc/Kent Smith "Gold Leaf Techniques". Ingrid is right, you can't have too many books. Nice thing is you don't have to track down the originals (of the older books) thaat have been reprinted as softcovers.
------------------ "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. - Raoul Duke (Hunter S. Thompson)
Cam Finest Kind Signs 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988"
Posted by Mike Languein (Member # 319) on :
Sign Painting Up To Now, by E.C. Matthews, 1954
Lacquer Painting, by E.C. Matthews, 1938
I think "the Atkinson book" is called "Sign Painting", by Frank Atkinson, 1904 and again in 1920 - plus the reprints. I have a 1904 issue which has a lot of layouts in the back that the later issues don't have.
A Show at Show Cards, by Frank Atkinson, c. 1910 ?
1,000 Show Card Layouts, by H.C. Martin, reprinted by Signs of the Times
Martin's Ideas, 4 soft volumes
Poster Art, by "Duke" Wellington
the Speedball books, the older the better
D. M. Campana published about 25 art books, some on sign painting and lettering
the International Correspondence School (I.C.S.) put out a lot of sign books dating back to about 1860 that I know of. Some of those are still around
and Dover Publications has hundreds of art books that are out of copyright. I have about 300 of them.
There are many more --- good hunting!
------------------ "If it isn't fun, why do it?" Signmike@aol.com Mike Languein Doctor of Letters BS, MS, PhD ___________________
You know what BS is, MS is More of the Same, and it's Piled Higher and Deeper here
Posted by Kent Smith (Member # 251) on :
Mike and Cam started my list to which I would add: Modern Ornament and Design by Halsted; Henderson's other books, The Signist and The Modern Sign Writer; The Coast Manual of Lettering and Designs by Knopf and Mahaffey; Sign Painting and Better Sign Painting by Ralph Gregory; The Chester Cunningham Sign Design Notebook; Cigar Label and others of the group as advertised in AMAL; and Free Han Alphabets by F. Brunskill (I have the only copy left).
------------------ Kent Smith Smith Sign Studio Greeley, Colorado, USA kent@smithsignstudio.com
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
Thanks, Kent. I'd forgot Modern Ornament by Halsted. Lots of neat stuff in that.
------------------ "A wise man concerns himself with the truth, not with what people believe." - Aristotle
When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. - Raoul Duke (Hunter S. Thompson)
Cam Finest Kind Signs 256 S. Broad St. Pawcatuck, Ct. 06379 "Award winning Signs since 1988"
