Re: lefty's

Jim--Still have a small printing press, platen type, and about 30 fonts of
handset type, from 8 point to 48 point, and use a composing stick to set the
type.  Kinda grew up on the California case.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "james singer" <jsinger@igc.org>
To: <gardenchat@hort.net>
Sent: Friday, June 25, 2004 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: [CHAT] lefty's


> Cool.
>
> When I was in college, I bought a printshop to make a little pocket
> money [the GI Bill wasn't enough to buy the beer, too]. This was a
> hand-set printshop. When you handset type [wonder if anyone does
> anymore?] you set the type upside down and backward in a contraption
> called a "stick," which is definitely a gadget for the right-handed.
> You hold the stick in your left hand, hold the type in place with your
> left thumb, and select and place new letters with your right hand.
>
> After doing this for awhile, and making a tad surplus over the beer
> bill, I got interested in antique type and purchased two large
> collections--one, a font of dingbats; the other, several fonts of
> "Polipholus" [a type designed in the 1800 to resemble the Roman type
> used by Aldus Minutinus] and several fonts of the matching italic,
> "Blado" [which was originally designed by Aldus--it was, in fact the
> invention of italic. Aldus, who was basically a bookseller, invented
> italic so he could get more words on a page in his books and, thereby,
> cut the cost of paper. Apparently, the cost of paper during the
> Renaissance was a killer].
>
> Cut to the chase. I can't mess about with something like type faces
> without having a strong desire to create one. So I purchased
> calligraphy pens--only to discover that I'm a real klutz with pen and
> ink in either hand. So your achievement, Jesse, is cool. Maybe, double
> cool.
>
>
> On Friday, June 25, 2004, at 10:21 AM, Jesse Bell wrote:
>
> > I was ambidextrous as a kid - MAJORLY - when I colored, I had a crayon
> > in both hands, when I drew a picture, I had a pencil in my right hand
> > and a crayon in the left. When I used Play-Dough..I would shape and
> > mold
> > with both hands...then I went to kindergarten. They would not allow me
> > to draw, write or cut with my left hand...so there ya go. Why do people
> > CARE? When I asked my grandfather, who did calligraphy and copperplate,
> > he said it was because the pens they used back then were designed for
> > the right hand, like scissors, and to make or convert one of the pens
> > for the left hand was just considered a hassle and because they used
> > ink
> > in a bottle, if you used your left hand (we right from left to right)
> > it
> > would smear the ink before it was dry. And penmanship was a major deal
> > back then. Regular handwriting was a work of art and they were graded
> > on
> > it. Now that three year olds are using the computer most of that has
> > gone by the wayside. And...by the way...I was taught
> >
> > calligraphy, Spencerian and copperplate by an 80 year old master who
> > used to design the diplomas that hang on the walls (he did them by hand
> > and had them reproduced). When I do envelopes and such, I just doodle
> > and use crappy old calligraphy pens...but I have some artwork and
> > calligraphy (illumination with 14K gold on it) that I did when I worked
> > with him...and one of the pieces now hangs in Morocco...in the palace.
> > Kind of cool, huh? LOL (just some trivial info for ya'll)
> >
> >
> > Jess
> Island Jim
> Southwest Florida
> Zone 10
> 27.0 N, 82.4 W
>
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