The Evolution of the Medieval Decorated Letter

Item Details

Hampton, NH, The Yankee Printer, 1985, Broadside

FIRST EDITION, Very Good

https://www.johnhowellforbooks.com/product/6103

Hampton, NH: The Yankee Printer, 1985.

Broadside. 22 3/4 x 18 1/4 inches. Header and illustrations printed within a ruled border, 25 colorful decorative letters; clean and unmarked, the verso has 3 pieces of tape used to hold the item in place when framed, the 4th piece of tape has fallen off leaving only adhesive residue. From the private collection of Kater-Crafts Bookbinders. KJH1123-191. Very Good.

FIRST EDITION. Philip Salmon & Company Rare Books has a miniature book copy of Van Stone's poster. They describe their miniature thus: "This intricately illuminated alphabet shows the development of the decorated letter from the late fourth to the sixteenth century. Printed in bright colors, the letters show interweaving vines, animals, and amusing caricatures."

Mark Van Stone studied physics and world paleography, earning a Guggenheim Fellowship before entering the University of Texas Graduate School to study Maya hieroglyphs and art history under Linda Schele. More recently he has served as Professor of Art History at Southwestern College. Van Stone remarked "These alphabet letters are executed within each of 25 styles, quoting or paraphrasing from one or another manuscript, but avoiding slavish copying - except twice. His brilliant broadside teaches about medieval illumination, letterforms, typography, calligraphy, and paleography.

In personal correspondence with your faithful cataloger, Van Stone indicated that this work was originally printed as a broadside. Later, he took a small number of copies and trimmed the posters into strips, and he attached the strips end-to-end, thus producing an accordion-fold miniature book. Ironically, the miniature book is more well-represented in OCLC than the poster.

PROVENANCE: Phyllis Kavin, Mel Kavin's spouse, was an avid collector of calligraphy and alphabet materials.