The Alphabet and Elements of Lettering, Revised and Enlarged Edition

by Frederic W. Goudy

Traces the developments of the alphabet and lettering from ancient times, and presents a variety of lettering styles which have evolved

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art

131 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1922

About the author

Frederic W. Goudy was an American artist and type designer.

Reviews

[Robbie Bruens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Makes sense that straighter fonts were developed by those cutting letters into stone and curvier fonts were created by scribes using quills on softer materials. The font's stylistic origin is always directly related and in service to the tool used to draw the lines and the material onto which it is drawn. Also serifs were made by guys cutting a clear ending to a line in stone.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely plates and nice typography, as one might expect.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will probably not retain the info I read in this book, but that doesn't mean it wasn't immensely pleasant to read it. It's not lengthy, and it is an easy read. The writing is academic but not overly formal, and the information is incredibly interesting to anyone who likes print, fonts, graphic design, or the obscure history of words and writing. A delightful book!