The New York Times Sunday Magazine piece famously opened: ''She has pouting lips and high round breasts. Thousands of men have dreamt of her. Hundreds have chased after her. Two have died in pursuit. Her name is Sirena, she weighs 193 pounds, and she vanished in 1959. Without a trace.'' Barrett College's legendary Greco - Roman sculpture's fate was still a hot topic in 1970 when four roommates began their freshman year at the New England school. They've gone their separate ways for years. But as the 1994 commencement approaches, they are about to reunite to meet a challenge thrown down by a Class of '59 hedge - fund billionaire. He has pledged a $25 million endowment plus a $3 million purse to her finder(s) if Sirena is restored to Barrett by June 17th, the date of his 35th reunion, the college's sesquicentennial celebration - and our foursome's 20th class reunion. Although they are not alone in their pursuit - groups of alumni, including a pair of aggressive and highly - financed classmates, are running down leads across the world - St. Louis lawyer Lou Solomon and his crew come upon an obscure but intriguing clue. It leads them to Chicago where a young lawyer called Rachel Gold may hold key information. As the men race to crack the Sirena puzzle, their quest will transform their lives in unexpected ways.

An illuminating account of the design inspirations and technical transformations that have shaped the digital typefaces of the 21st century In this fascinating tour through typographic history, Paul Shaw provides a visually rich exploration of digital type revival. Many typefaces from the pre-digital past have been reinvented for use on computers and mobile devices, while other new font designs are revivals of letterforms, drawn from inscriptions, calligraphic manuals, posters, and book jackets. Revival Type deftly introduces these fonts, many of which are widely used, and engagingly tells their stories. Examples include translations of letterforms not previously used as type, direct revivals of metal and wood typefaces, and looser interpretations of older fonts. Among these are variations on classic designs by John Baskerville, Giambattista Bodoni, William Caslon, Firmin Didot, Claude Garamont, Robert Granjon, and Nicolas Jenson, as well as typefaces inspired by less familiar designers, including Richard Austin, Philippe Grandjean, and Eudald Pradell. Updates and revisions of 20th-century classics such as Palatino, Meridien, DIN, Metro, and Neue Haas Grotesk (Helvetica) are also discussed. Handsomely illustrated with annotated examples, archival material depicting classic designs, and full character sets of modern typefaces, Revival Type is an essential introduction for designers and design enthusiasts into the process of reinterpreting historical type.

Transform ordinary handwritten pieces into unique, artistic keepsakes, Calligraphy Magic makes the art of decorative lettering fun and achievable—even if you're a beginner. Take it one simple pen-stroke at a time. Following Cari Buziak's clear visual instruction, you'll learn how to embellish every project with beautifully hand-lettered words, logos and decorative illustrations. Detailed demonstrations include: A precise list of the tools and materials you'll need Colorful illustrations that show how to form every stroke 15 complete alphabets—from basic to fancy—such as Italic, Gothic and Versal Step-by-step instruction for adding exciting decorative touches such as Celtic knotwork, gold leafing and eye-popping colors 12 step-by-step projects that show how to create gorgeous calligraphic treatments for wedding invitations, greeting cards, thank you notes, awards, certificates and much more Plus, a full chapter that walks you through using a computer to create your own calligraphy fonts There are even pre-printed practice pages you can photocopy to help you perfect every stroke. It's all here in Calligraphy Magic. Take your decorative lettering to new heights to precision and beauty, and create timeless pieces for family and friends to treasure and admire.

A revered classic of American design delights anew with the freshness and ingenuity of its approach Bradbury Thompson (1911-1995) remains one of the most admired and influential graphic designers of the twentieth century, having trained a generation of design students while on the faculty of the Yale School of Art for more than thirty years. The art director of Mademoiselle and design director of Art News and Art News Annual in the decades after World War II, Thompson was also a distinguished designer of limited-edition books, postage stamps, rationalized alphabets, corporate identification programs, trademarks, and sacred works (most notably the Washburn College Bible). Thompson also designed more than sixty issues of Westvaco Inspirations, a magazine that was published by the Westvaco Corporation and distributed to thousands of printers, designers, and teachers to show the range and versatility of printing papers. Thompson was especially revered for his ability to adapt classic typography for the modern world. Bradbury Thompson: The Art of Graphic Design is a landmark in the history of fine bookmaking. First published by Yale University Press in 1988 and designed by Thompson himself, it was praised by the New York Times as a book in which "art and design are gloriously and daringly mixed." Original texts by the author and other notable designers, critics, and art historians, including J. Carter Brown, Alvin Eisenman, and Steven Heller, explore Thompson's methods and design philosophy, and a newly commissioned afterword by Jessica Helfand attests to the enduring importance of his work. Both a retrospective and a manifesto, the book surveys Thompson's timeless contributions to American graphic design, including his experimental work and his work in magazines, typography, books, simplified alphabets, and contemporary postage stamps. Published for the first time in paperback, this classic text is now available for a new generation of designers and students.

From typefounding through typesetting to the printing process itself, this narrative offers a fresh look at the unprecedented success story of the spread of the 'black art' right across Europe in a mere 40 years. Stephan Füssel here analyses the first early printings, placing them in the context of the history of communication and the intellectual climate of a Europe-wide educated elite by about 1500. He foregrounds the tremendous rise in European culture and the history of education experienced as a direct result of this media revolution. In separate chapters Füssel depicts the fast spreading of the art of printing to Italy, France and England, at the same time highlighting the importance of the art of printing for the Roman Catholic Church, the Reformation, the University and the economy. From herbals to a guide for midwives, the present book shows popular instruction at work in the vernacular, as well as the consolidation of knowledge into encyclopedias in the early modern period, and the emergence of new forms of the prose novel and the beginnings of newspapers and periodicals. Finally Stephan Füssel traces the modern resonances of Gutenberg's invention, which persisted in virtually unchanged form for a further 350 years. It underwent decisive technological change through industrialisation and mechanisation in the nineteenth century, and again through digitalisation at the close of the twentieth century. However, as Füssel shows, the mass diffusion of information and the related communications revolution which began with Gutenberg continue unabated.