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Detailed Landscapes Form an Elegant 19th-Century Alphabet

1082141697

Masters of typography have used anything from sharp knives, sculpted metal, and bubble wrap as the foundation for beautifully formed characters and alphabets. Almost 200 years ago, British artist L.E.M. Jones produced this elegant series, entitled The Landscape Alphabet.

Created in the 19th century, the collection features ornate landscapes that naturally form each letter of the alphabet. The artist included countrysides, castles, coastlines, shepherds, sailboats, seascapes, and more to develop the extensive series in just black and gray tones against a cream colored paper. A history of the artist behind the inventive, rustic series is a bit of a mystery but we do know that the illustrations were printed by London-based lithographic printer and publisher Charles Joseph Hullmandel.

To learn more about the entire series, including vivid descriptions of each scene, check out The British Museum website.

1082141717 1082141736 1082141750 1082141766 1082141778 1082141817 1082141826 1082141837 1082141847 1082141854 1082141867 1082141878 1082141882 1082141889 1082141897 1082141905 1082141911

via [Letterology], [The British Museum]

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