DOI Heft:
Nr. 116 (November 1902)
DOI Artikel:Vallance, Aymer: Designs for book-plates: some remarks upon the result of competition B XX.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19877#0136
Designs for Book-plates
BOOK-PLATE BY "o MIMOSA SAN"
ness and strength, while, on the other hand,
letters stretched upwards and downwards into
an oblong form, out of due proportion to their
breadth, tend, even though their limbs be solid,
to look wasted and attenuated. The lettering
in the Greenleaf book-plate, though far from un-
pleasing, yet by reason of its excessive roundness
seems rather too lacking in virility as compared
with letters of rectangular formation. The
same criticism applies in a minor degree to
the lettering in the design by "Excelsior." One
should avoid being capricious or fantastic.
Clearness and legibility are the first conditions
of good lettering. The intention of making it
ornamental should be kept strictly subordinate.
Attempts at elaboration usually entail loss of
dignity and defeat their own ends, producing, if
not a confused, a vulgar and pretentious, the very
opposite of a decorative, effect.
And lastly—though this is, perhaps, a detail
which belongs rather to the domain of personal
tastes and preferences, so that it is unwise to be too
dogmatic on the subject—it seems more consonant
with their purpose as records in inscriptions of a
monumental nature, to employ capitals uniformly.
124
One has but to compare the lower-case lettering of
the "Gwynne" book-plate with the characters of
those by "Serlio" and "Rep" for instance, to
appreciate the respective effects produced. It may
be worth while also in this connection to recall
that the late William Morris, in contrasting the
relative merits of Gothic and Roman type, remarked
that the capitals of the latter constituted its strong
point. Admitted then that it would be im-
practicable to print entire books or newspapers in
capitals from end to end, the balance still inclines
in favour of the use of capitals for short inscriptions,
such as indeed do occur in book-plates.
And now, to take the illustrations more minutely,
the most typical of the book-plates belonging to
the class of badges or marks is unquestionably
that of "Roy" (page 120), already mentioned. For
directness and simplicity this example would be
hard to rival. Of the same category there are
other designs, such as the strong and conventional
landscape in silhouette by " Gwyn " ; the two little
landscapes with cottages by " Simplex," marvels
of dainty manipulation in pure line; the same
artist's vulture, in like manner; " Carelia's " wood-
pecker ; "Gar's" peacock with tail displayed;
"Ymer's" and "West Countryman's" owls, interest-
ing for comparing variant forms of treatment of the
same bird in almost the identical attitude in the
two instances ; " Nick's " symbolic Pegasus; "Arc-
BOOK-PLATE BY "o MIMOSA SAN"
ness and strength, while, on the other hand,
letters stretched upwards and downwards into
an oblong form, out of due proportion to their
breadth, tend, even though their limbs be solid,
to look wasted and attenuated. The lettering
in the Greenleaf book-plate, though far from un-
pleasing, yet by reason of its excessive roundness
seems rather too lacking in virility as compared
with letters of rectangular formation. The
same criticism applies in a minor degree to
the lettering in the design by "Excelsior." One
should avoid being capricious or fantastic.
Clearness and legibility are the first conditions
of good lettering. The intention of making it
ornamental should be kept strictly subordinate.
Attempts at elaboration usually entail loss of
dignity and defeat their own ends, producing, if
not a confused, a vulgar and pretentious, the very
opposite of a decorative, effect.
And lastly—though this is, perhaps, a detail
which belongs rather to the domain of personal
tastes and preferences, so that it is unwise to be too
dogmatic on the subject—it seems more consonant
with their purpose as records in inscriptions of a
monumental nature, to employ capitals uniformly.
124
One has but to compare the lower-case lettering of
the "Gwynne" book-plate with the characters of
those by "Serlio" and "Rep" for instance, to
appreciate the respective effects produced. It may
be worth while also in this connection to recall
that the late William Morris, in contrasting the
relative merits of Gothic and Roman type, remarked
that the capitals of the latter constituted its strong
point. Admitted then that it would be im-
practicable to print entire books or newspapers in
capitals from end to end, the balance still inclines
in favour of the use of capitals for short inscriptions,
such as indeed do occur in book-plates.
And now, to take the illustrations more minutely,
the most typical of the book-plates belonging to
the class of badges or marks is unquestionably
that of "Roy" (page 120), already mentioned. For
directness and simplicity this example would be
hard to rival. Of the same category there are
other designs, such as the strong and conventional
landscape in silhouette by " Gwyn " ; the two little
landscapes with cottages by " Simplex," marvels
of dainty manipulation in pure line; the same
artist's vulture, in like manner; " Carelia's " wood-
pecker ; "Gar's" peacock with tail displayed;
"Ymer's" and "West Countryman's" owls, interest-
ing for comparing variant forms of treatment of the
same bird in almost the identical attitude in the
two instances ; " Nick's " symbolic Pegasus; "Arc-