History of Lettering: Creative Experiment and Letter Identity

With 314 illustrations. All lettering is produced for a purpose. It is thus a reflection of the society producing it. In this comprehensive book, Nicolete Gray puts lettering back into its cultural context, demonstrating how it changes in relation to western art and society and providing examples of lettering from a broad spectrum of techniques and sources. A HISTORY OF LETTERING is the first book of its kind to deal with the core of the subject: the letters themselves. It traces letter forms through the centuries, looking at periods of experiment, retrenchment or return to historical or theoretical sources, paying special attention to the influences contributing to these changes. Over 300 illustrations, many reproduced for the first time, give the reader a selection of the most remarkable achievements in lettering art. A special feature, too, is the charts describing and illustrating experimental periods, sure to be of interest to designers requiring a more comprehensive vocabulary to deal with the challenge of digital typography. A HISTORY OF LETTERING is essential reading for scholars, historians and art historians, and an invaluable reference book for anyone concerned with the fascinating and persistent challenge of lettering. Includes both a Glossary and Index.