Chicago–based jewelry engraver J. M. Bergling (1866–1933) created thousands of letter styles, signets, monograms, and ciphers. A noted author on the subjects of lettering and heraldic design, Bergling created books that became standard references of his era. He assembled his first book, Art Monograms and Letters,with the hopes of inspiring other etchers, engravers, sign painters, and artisans. This volume contains selected illustrations from that publication in addition to his complete Art Alphabets and Lettering,which comprises 96 pages of layouts and letter styles ranging from simple to ornate. Commercial artists, designers, calligraphers, engravers, amateurs, and professionals will prize this exclusive edition as a source of high-quality images and alphabets. This reference book features an appreciative Foreword by artist and author James Gurney, which places Bergling's works in historical context.

Gathers hundreds of art nouveau-style alphabets and discusses the development of these typefaces

More than 2,500 designs, originally published between 1830 and 1881, offer a splendid source of royalty-free ornaments. Includes two-, three-, and four-letter combos, plus crowns, crests, and coats of arms.

100 complete fonts from Solo-type Typographers Catalog: upper and lower cases, alternate forms, swash forms, numerals, secondaries. Whiplash, organic, cursive, Orientalized, other styles. Beautiful, wide range of type fluidities suggest elegance, originality, grace, nearness to nature. Most not elsewhere.

In laying out this book I have put into it the experience of many years of actual work in the designing of Monograms, Ciphers, Trade-Marks, and other letter devices. I have given the work much careful thought in order to present the most useful material, to give that material on a good workable scale, and in such a way that any design can be quickly found. By the arrangement of the designs the plates form their own index. ..A. A. TURBAYNE.