Ornamental Alphabets, Ancient and Mediæval (page 1/10)

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[picture: Front Cover]

Scans from The Book of Ornamental Alphabets, Ancient and Mediæval collected and engraved by Freeman Gage Delamotte (1814 – 1862); London, Crosby Lockwood and Co., 1879

If anyone is interested, I’ll try and do some better scans of the alphabets and examples of calligraphy and calligraphic initials in this book.

(Note: Mediæval is the older British English spelling of Mediaeval, or Medieval).

The full title page is transcribed alongside its image. This is an oblong octavo with alphabets printed in various colours including red, green and brown.

Title: Ornamental Alphabets, Ancient and Mediæval

Author: Delamotte, F.

City: London

Date: 1879

Total items: 102

Out of copyright (called public domain in the USA), hence royalty-free for all purposes usage credit requested, or as marked.

Some sample images

[picture: 53.---Mongrams, Crosses, etc. [overview]]

53.—Mongrams, Crosses, etc. [overview]

Monograms (e.g. IHS), gothic crosses and other religious symbols. [more...]

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[picture: 4.---9th Century. From an Anglo-Saxon MS.  Battel Abbey.]

4.—9th Century. From an Anglo-Saxon MS. Battel Abbey.

Today called Battle Abbey. Someone made a font from a Dover reprint of this alphabet—Rob Anderson, I think. There is no coyright statement on the font, which was probably originally a PostScript Type 1 font converted to TrueType. I don’t think [...] [more...]

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[picture: 53.5.---Cross With Unkempt Hair]

53.5.—Cross With Unkempt Hair

This might be a symbol representing a crown, with the crosses implying rule over a spirtual realm but with temporal power, such as an abbot or bishop. I don’t know what the hairstyle is about. Maybe it’s just a totally gothic cross. Or more likely [...] [more...]

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[picture: Decorative initial letter ``J'' from 16th Century]

Decorative initial letter “J” from 16th Century

This ornamental capital “J” in white on black is suitable for use as a drop cap (dropped capital) or a decorative initial. It is taken from a sixteenth-century alphabet in white on black. [more...]

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[picture: Decorative initial letter ``L'' from 16th Century]

Decorative initial letter “L” from 16th Century

This capital “L” is suitable for use as a drop cap (dropped capital) or a decorative initial; there’s also a small version for an avatar or icon. It is taken from a 16th century alphabet, and features a painter licking a brush, or perhaps a claw-footed demon eating a chicken drumstick while watching a movie, while overhead, a flying bird-fish devours a plant. [more...]

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alphabets animals arrows astrology backgrounds birds blue book covers borders brown calligraphy cartici christmas colour crosses crowns decoration dogs dragons drawings faces fire fleurs de lys floriated initials flowers foliated initials fonts frames games green greyscale heraldry holly inhabited initials initials insects jesters leaves lettera letterb letterc letterd lettere letterf letterg letterh letteri lettering letterj letterk letterl letterm lettern lettero letterp letterq letterr letters lettert letteru letterv letterw lettery letterz lizards monograms mythical creatures numerals ornaments outlines page images people phoenixes playing cards purple red religion rodents royalty spirit squirrels sun symbols tendrils title pages typography victoriana wallpaper yellow

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Scans from The Book of Ornamental Alphabets, Ancient and Mediæval collected and engraved by Freeman Gage Delamotte (1814 – 1862); London, Crosby Lockwood and Co., 1879

If anyone is interested, I’ll try and do some better scans of the alphabets and examples of calligraphy and calligraphic initials in this book.

(Note: Mediæval is the older British English spelling of Mediaeval, or Medieval).

The full title page is transcribed alongside its image. This is an oblong octavo with alphabets printed in various colours including red, green and brown.


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