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Our Calligraphic Heritage,
by Ismar David. Published by the Geyer Studio, 1980, in an edition of 2500.
Stored
for over twenty three years, this limited edition is again being offered for
sale.
Each
individual copy is signed and numbered by the author.
THIS WILL BE
THE FINAL
There will be no more copies available after this
sale period.
See images of the Calligraphy Samples in the book.
See examples of the Calligraphy Tutorials. Printed
writing books have been issued since the 16th Century. They were created to
share the author's experience with those who were interested in the art of
writing, or were eager to acquire skill and knowledge in this field. This writing book is no exception. Its chart
and style examples were developed during two decades for those who trained and
worked in the famous Geyer Studio of OUR
CALLIGRAPHIC HERITAGE consists of three carefully integrated units.
Download an Acrobat PDF Document about this book.
The first
is the Writing Book, containing concise text accompanied by illustrations and
charts which deal with historical, esthetic and technical aspects of
calligraphy.
The second unit is a set of 17 folders which present reproductions of selected examples of major historic styles. Each is complemented by at least one, but in most instances, two or three complete alphabets rendered by the author/artist, and amplified by explanatory text. Individual letters have been substantially enlarged for easier study. The format in which the folders are offered has been designed to facilitate comparison of different styles on a convenient side-by-side basis. (See an example now.)
The third unit is a collection of 17 compositions keyed to the styles shown in the folders. Each composition has been created to demonstrate how classic styles can be used as motifs for contemporary graphic and calligraphic purposes. (See these compositions now.)
The entire work is set in 11pt Dante
designed by the great printer/designer, Giovanni Mardersteig.
The writing book is printed in two colors on Curtis Rag, one of the finest and
most durable printing papers. The folders and compositions are printed on
Curtis Rag cover stock, the former in two colors, the latter in up to four
colors.
The three units are housed in a solid
wood framed box covered with heavy buckram. It has been specially designed to
serve a dual purpose: as a handsome container to protect and preserve the
valuable contents, and as a handy easel on which to display the folders while
they are being used for study and practice.
Meticulous attention has been devoted to
every step in the production of this limited edition, which will appeal to
bibliophiles as well as calligraphers. Each of the sets has been inspected,
numbered, and signed by the author/artist. They may be ordered by phone:
Write to us at: och@calligraphyheritage.com
About the Author/Artist:
ISMAR DAVID is recognized as one of
the authentic giants of calligraphy. His work as a designer
of type, books, and architectural monuments, as well as his achievement as an
illustrator and calligrapher, have placed him among the handful of
graphic artists with a truly international reputation.
Ismar David, a teacher all his life, made this his most
significant instructional work. He died in 1997. Only through special
arrangements could this work again be made available.
WHAT
EXPERTS SAY:
Hermann
Zapf, Professor, Rochester Institute of Technology, renowned
type designer, lecturer and author
"This publication by Ismar
is more than a beautifully designed publication. A book in which each page
shows the taste and the skill of a master in calligraphy, perfectly reproduced.
Inspiring everybody who likes letterforms for it shows the soul of the forms
beside the structure and basic elements"
Herb Lubalin,
designer, international consultant, and lecturer
"It embodies that rare combination of superb
craftsmanship and pertinent information. The Geyer Studio and Mr. David are to
be congratulated on this beautifully conceived package. On viewing this work I
regret that my lefthandedness inhibits the
calligraphic creativity it inspires in me"
Paul Standard,
Professor, Cooper Union, noted calligrapher and author
"OUR CALLIGRAPHIC HERITAGE is a book which
presents that tangled heritage in terms and in figures of uniquely graceful
clarity, and gives a full view of a landscape of letters to a world readership.
It is a heritage of enormous scope, hitherto lying scattered in many hundreds
of scholarly volumes available to specialists, but now taken in hand by a
scholar-artist in love with the letters used in written and printed books.
Undaunted by the task's complexity, Ismar David has solved
his problem by discerning the threads of related families of letters, and has
now presented them in words supported by graphic illustration in adjoining
margins or on fullpage plates, enlightening to the
reader and inspiring to the practitioner. In this clarifying task his partner
is the Geyer Studio"
Donald Jackson,
Visiting, Professor, University of Calif, Santa Cruz,
and at Calif State University, L.A., Scribe to the
British Crown Office
... the book which grew
out of the collaboration between artist and professional studio is meticulously
produced on excellent paper, section-sewn. Together with seventeen four-page
folders and the same number of compositions it makes a practical working tool
especially since the buckram covered box opens to provide a steady
self-supportive easel for ease of reference to the plates... Mr. David traces
some of the major writing fashions, reflecting about the ‘swings of the
cultural pendulum’ which have influenced the evolution of the Roman alphabet in
a manner which most people will find easy to understand. His observations on
each of the alphabets show the kind of response to letter forms and their
origins that calligraphers will immediately recognise
as in sympathy with their own feelings.''
Biography of the Author:
ISMAR DAVID is one of the few graphic designers, illustrators and calligraphers
of international reputation. He has taught at Cooper Union for 16 years and has
lectured and conducted workshops to professional groups. His design and the
illustrations of such limited editions as the "Psalms," one of AIGA's Fifty Books 1974, and Pascal's "Les Pensés" are admired for their uniqueness, graphic
refinement and beauty. His architectural designs which include inscriptions
stand out as examples of contemporary monuments. His present book in its rich
texture reflects this wide experience.