19th-Century Calligraphy With a Modern Twist

I love these framed calligraphy pieces from Carlson and Stevenson with such fervor. It's a treat to see the multi-colored inks, and the whimsmical quality of the fonts calls to mind the present-day craze for hand-lettering in graphic design (don't believe me? Check out Etsy).





For the calligraphy-obsessed, Piper Publishing offers a re-issue of the 1881 Real Pen Work Self-Instructor in Penmanship. Seeing the samples, I'm astonished at how our forebears incorporated so much artisanship into their daily lives through the simple act of writing.

Calligraphy Flourishes: The School Girl's Art

Part of the reason that I love folk art is that so much of it is by women. Traditional "school girl" handicrafts such as needlework and calligraphy should be celebrated -- not just for their beauty, but for the unsung female artists that created them.

That being said, this 19th-Century "School Girl" calligraphy drawing/flourish just floors me with its intricacy:



It. Is. To. Die. For.