This is a scarce one, and a significant one, having given rise to a whole lot of the fancy Spencerian calligraphy drawings one finds out there, and a whole lot of elaborate lettering too, with dozens of alphabets included in it. It is an 1867 copy of Williams & Packard's Original Gems of Penmanship, printed by Major & Knapp, 440 Broadway, NYC--this copy presented to a Sarah Thresher as an award for "the best Specimen & Business Penmanship, May 31, 1867"--with the penwork on that page executed entirely by hand in ink. The rest of the pages are engravings, with photos giving a good sense but I've not been comprehensive, and there are many treasures inside. My favorite are the alphabets toward the end, many of them insanely elaborate...one could certainly spend the rest of one's life trying to execute just a few of these well!
12" x 9 5/8". (Pages 11 5/8" x 9 1/4".) 51 leafs, printed on one side only. Photos representative but not comprehensive. The front cover board is detached but the pages and back cover are holding together well and the pages themselves are in good condition.
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