[Rarebooks] FS: Bickham's THE UNIVERSAL PENMAN, 1741, entirely engraved

[Charles Agvent]

 From our new catalog of 61 fine items in a variety of fields, now 
available on our website: 
http://www.charlesagvent.com/agvent/images/pdfs/Winter2017.pdf

BICKHAM, George. THE UNIVERSAL PENMAN; OR, THE ART OF WRITING MADE 
USEFUL TO THE GENTLEMAN AND SCHOLAR, AS WELL AS THE MAN OF BUSINESS. 
London: Printed by and sold for the Author, 1741. First Edition. Tall 
folio (10-1/4" x 16") bound in 19th-century full black morocco leather 
with gilt floral decorations in the corners and on the spine, raised 
bands, gilt-lettered red and green morocco spine labels. Complete with 
an engraved frontispiece by Hubert Gravelot, two engraved title pages, 
and 212 fine plates of artistic and ornamental calligraphy, many of 
which contain vignettes, all fully engraved. This work includes 
specimens by 25 different writing masters--all engraved by Bickham. 
First issued to subscribers in 52 parts between 1733 and 1741, this 
title was heavily used by its owners, making complete copies in fine 
condition very scarce. Plates 34 and 131 misnumbered. Frontispiece 
rehinged. Minor marginal soiling to first few and last few leaves, 
including frontispiece and title page. A handsome, Near Fine example of 
this lovely book.

George Bickham the Elder (1684-1758) was the finest calligraphic 
engraver of his day. He was also an excellent penman, as 18 of these 
plates show, but he employed 25 leading writing masters to compose the 
bulk of this, his best known work, a collection of writing exemplars 
which helped to popularize the English Round Hand script in the 18th 
century. (#018399)        $4,000.00

http://www.charlesagvent.com/shop/agvent/018399.html

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