These two works, published together here, constitute a book of wise, well-considered opinions on the aesthetics of letters and type faces and their long history and development. The author was America's foremost type designer, and his knowledge joins with a genuine talent for spirited, readable prose to produce a book of surprisingly broad interest. The book begins with beautifully illustrated chapters on topics such as the beginnings of the alphabet, what letters are, and letters in general. There follow the 27 full-page plates that originally made up the 'Elements of Lettering'. Each one consisting of 15 forms of a single letter. There are Roman capitals from Trajan's Column, slanted pen capitals, Gothic capitals and minuscules... A brief introduction details the design elements of each form and lists its source. Notes on the charts sketch in the history of each letter. Throughout the text there are illustrations of manuscript pages and reconstructions by the author of unusual varian