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

details...
[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: 2.  8th Century.]

2. 8th Century.

British Museum. [more...]

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

Decorative initial letter “M” from 16th Century

This capital “M” 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 includes a lion and a thistle, symbols respectively of England and Scotland. [more...]

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

Decorative initial letter “L” from 16th Century

This ornamental capital “l” 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: 53.2.---IHS Monogram]

53.2.—IHS Monogram

The monogram IHS comes from the Greek for Jesus, IHESUS, or from the Latin Ihesus Hominum Salvator, which is, Jesus, saviour of Mankind (Jesus was the name of a religious person). A modern interpretation is In His Service. [more...]

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

Decorative initial letter “A” from 16th Century

This floriated ornamental capital “a” 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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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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