ALPHABETS TO ORDER: the literature of nineteenth-century typefounders' specimens.
Pp. x+214, frontispiece, numerous full page illustrations, patterned endpapers, appendices, glossary, bibliography, index; demy 4to; dust wrapper; Oak Knoll Press, New Castle, DE., 2000. First edition. *'Explores the apparent randomness of the texts that typesetters used to show off their typefaces. Discussing hundreds of examples from British and North American specimen books, Johnston shows that the type-founders' 'nonsense' reflected their interests and preoccupations from the arcane to the mundane. Through this new lens, we see that the specimen books had plenty to say about the reading habits, politics, amusements and whimsies of the day' [wrapper blurb]. Item #067743
Price: $85.00