Understanding Johnstons rules for studying a manuscript

[JERRY TRESSER]

In developing Johnstons Foundational Hand, rules were set up for studying manuscript hands. For example there were well over 400 varieties of Uncial. This is a bookhand (one of 3) which spanned over 800 years.  some type of order in understanding  were developed .  How do we learn as to what is a norm when we want to learn a historical hand and have some accuracy. Not only on the hand, but the scribe, the ink , the tool, etc. 

 Johnston provided 7 necessary requirements for deciphering a manuscript hand that can be applied to all broad edged hands. We and i am going back well over 40 years were provided photos of early uncial and we were able to draw out information , looked to see if these bits of detective work provided a foot print for other Uncial letter forms. That is how we developed principles relating to hands of historical stature.   Once we were able to use the necessary principles to extract the vital information, it was applied well into the 14th century hands.

There was no such a thing as learning 10 different hands.  The process was a development that would lead us more by century as to how theletters came into changes from a circular O to a more horizontal O based on black letter forms or even Caroline a full minuscule alphabet.    I am enclosing an attachment that came from Johnstons book on understating the Foundational Hand showing the necessary steps that one needs to be made aware of when studying some of these historical scripts.   

There is allot more to tell, but i do hope some of this information may be helpful in the underpinning , which is critical for good letterforms... Jerry

[Inkysloth]

This is really interesting - and useful - many thanks!

[AnasaziWrites]

@JERRY TRESSER
Interesting.
To which of his books are you referring?

[JERRY TRESSER]

I believe its Lessons in Formal Writing.  I am going by memory. The page i use when teaching any broad edged  hand with one exception and that is Rustic.  Romans was done with a brush so that was excluded altogether under the manuscript rules.  Hope this helps as its a subject that is truly neglected when teaching letterforms.   I make it mandatory by giving each participant in my classes a handout so we have a better starting point . What i love about it is its historical implications.  Thanks for your participation.  JERRY

[JERRY TRESSER]

One other point  most hands being taught in these round about classes today, (historical) seem to be so individualized without any reference to the historical justification as to why a particular letter is being done

. I saw this allot in some of the calligraphic circles. One class which caught my eye related to learning 5 different lettering styles in 8 hours !  Thats rather remarkable .  I did have an opportunity to corner one of these participants  who indicated that she was just copying whatever the teacher was writing. Non explainable lettering forms.  She had no knowledge that Uncial came before Gothic as that was not even discussed.  Just a matter of 1200 years ! 

I am a proponent of getting a some kind of introduction, and i do understand most adult classes seem to drift toward the Chancery as that was the most fluid and flourished edged pen hand. But the reader should also  understand that even Chancery was a historical development which did reach a conclusion. A final one i may add.  Johnston within the British hierarchy is considered the father of Calligraphy. Its a subject that has allot of inbred arguments about that validity.  Especially here in the US.