The Universal Penman engraved by George Bickham

We are thrilled to offer the only complete edition available of one of the most famous and useful books of commercial art ever printed - George Bickham's Universal Penman. Compiled back in the 1740s, Bickham's work contains the best specimens of 24 of the leading calligraphers of his day. Unfortunately, it was published in 52 separate parts over eight years, making it challenging to obtain a complete set in Bickham's own day, let alone today where surviving copies lack certain rare plates.

This Dover edition, however, is the exception - containing every plate Bickham engraved, reproduced from original plates so clear that they are even better than most 18th-century originals. With more than 210 full-page plates, each crammed full of beautiful and interesting material, the Universal Penman is a treasure trove of calligraphic and artistic inspiration. In total, there are over 950 lettered specimens overlaid with fine flourishes, swirls, spirals, featherings, volutes, and more, along with over 100 panels, frames, cartouches, and other effects.

This book is an indispensable resource for calligraphers seeking the best source for English round-hand writing, while commercial artists, advertising directors, and designers will find it first-rate as a source for immediately usable pictures and script that suggests antiquity, quality, and reliability. Craftspeople will find it rich in unusual ideas and motifs, and libraries and art historians will find it a wonderful collection of 18th-century pictures illustrating art-life.

Foreword by Philip Hofer of Harvard College Library. Paperback; 212 pages; 8.25" x 11"