Title: "4•XIV•54 Dear Fridolf": An Original Signed Calligraphic Art Work by Byron Macdonald, in the Form of a Letter to Fridolf Johnson, Penned in Uncial, in a Concentric Circle Spiraling out from the Center to the Edges
Description: April 14, 1954. 1954. April 14, 1954. 1954. Good. - sc An original calligraphic letter penned in a concentric circle onto an [approximately] 18-1/2"x 16-3/4" sheet. The Uncial lettering begins in the center with Fridolf's name penned in red ink from which, the other words drawn in black carefully and delicately spiral out towards the edges. A superb example of the calligrapher's art, once folded, now beautifully framed in a heavy wood frame with a gilt-edged circular opening.
"Dear Fridolf, Can't begin to tell you how happy I was to get your beautifully written letter two weeks ago and your invitation to send some of my stuff back for your article. There seems to be an increase in demand for calligraphy out here, at least advertising-wise. As usual, the bulk of my work comes from the clients direct and the Universities and State and Government departments. Have designed quite a few plaques lately and a good many hand-lettered books, one in French, two in German, two in Italian and the rest in English. One of the most interesting was an address to His Majesty, the King of Sweden, commemorating his seventieth birthday. Do you remember Lyle Brown's "Sports Quiz" cartoon? Well, we are syndicated in more than fifty daily newspapers and Pocket Books bought it for world-wide distribution. Should hit the stands around May tenth so be sure and look for it. California is still the boom state, building everywhere-free-ways, housing projects, office buildings. Down-town San Francisco is having some face-lifting too-all the better. We have some new restaurants that are superb-wish you were here to sample them. Byron [his son] sends his regards-all five foot ten of him. He now plays piano, clarinet, base clarinet, sax, flute and oboe-yoiks! Am writing this on the front porch at Black Point and it is 80º in the shade-too hot to work. Mom and Pop send their very best and all the rest of the Macdonalds likewise. Hope to see you in a few weeks but write soon! Best regards, Jim." An incredible feat which makes of this otherwise ordinary letter, a superb work of art.
Fridolf Johnson, the recipient, was an editor at American Artist magazine. A typophile, bookman, pressman, and Bibliographer, Johnson was the author/editor of "Rockwell Kent: An Anthology of His Works", published by Knopf in 1981. The late Fridolf Johnson was also a calligrapher in his own right.
"Byron Macdonald was born in San Francisco and attended evening classes at the California School of Fine Arts while earning his living by writing show cards. This occupation, he thinks, is an invaluable background for the calligrapher as 'it gives one a sense of layout (being able to dramatize) and great manual dexterity with pen and brush.' He did department store lettering and theatre lobby posters before progressing to advertising agency reproduction lettering.
His study of the development of letters led him to calligraphy. His favorite alphabet is the Uncial, which he is now doing in several versions and weights for a photo-letterring company. Besides teaching at the Rudolph Schaeffer School of Design, he applies his calligraphic talents to a wide variety of uses, from liturgical literature to movie titles, and from architectural inscriptions to trademarks, letterheads, posters, and books, including the cover of this book." -- ["Calligraphy and Handwriting in America 1710-1962, Assembled and Shown by the Peabody Institute Library", Caledonia, NY, 1962].
Byron "Jim" Macdonald is the author of "Calligraphy: The Art of Lettering With The Broad Pen". He designed the binding for the book "Two Thousand Years of Calligraphy", the catalog for the exhibition at the Baltimore Museum of Art and Peabody Institute Library June 6-July 18, 1965.
His work is represented in the modern calligraphy collection of The National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
Examples of Byron J. Macdonald's work are depicted in the catalogue "Calligraphy and Handwriting in America.." [items 255 and 253]. Item number 253 is very similar to the original calligraphic art work, described above, which we are offering for sale.
. Good .
Keywords: CALLIGRAPHY; BOOKS-OF-BOOKS; GRAPHIC ARTS; ORIGINAL ART; PENMANSHIP; CALLIGRAPHER; LETTER; AUTOGRAPH; HOLOGRAPH; SIGNED; HANDWRITING; GRAPHIC DESIGN; DECORATIVE ARTS; BYRON JIM MACDONALD; TWENTIETH CENTURY; 20TH CENTURY; MODERN.
- Book number: 25305
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