A Series of Alphabets Designed as a Text Book for Engravers and Painters of Letters

New York: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co, 1855. Very Good -. New York: Ivison, Blakeman, Taylor & Co., copyright 1855 [but ca. 1871]. First Edition. Oblong quarto (21.5x29cm); publisher's black sheep over cloth, printed paper oval paste-on to upper cover; [16]ll., text entirely engraved. Boards worn at corners and spine ends, joints quite tender, textblock foxed; contemporary ownership ex libris and inscription of a W.W. Deatrick to front pastedown and free endpaper; a Good to Very Good example. Copyright date 1855, though four leaves are dated 1871 (as usual).

A scarce typographical reference by Archibald McLees (1817-1890), described as "the best engraver in the country" (Henning, p. 231), having worked as a bank note engraver for the Treasury Department as well as collaborating closely with the American penman educator Lyman Spencer. The alphabets represented here cover Medieval and Modern Roman, Block, Italic, German, Old English, Egyptian, and others.

We find just six holdings conforming to this copy in OCLC as of November, 2025.

Reference: William E. Henning, An Elegant Hand: The Golden Age of American Penmanship and Calligraphy (2002), p. 231.