Eric, I re-read this thread because I remembered you talked about 'Dutch Copperplate'. There is a whole chapter in the wonderful 'Hand to Type' book about the 'Amsterdamse Krulletter', which is a pointed pen lettering style mostly found hand-painted on old bar windows. Was ist that?
https://www.myfonts.com/fonts/re-type/krul/This seems to be a whole unique Dutch tradition, going back to one particular Dutch script master in the 17. century called Heuvelman who was influenced by the Italian Cancellaresca by Cresci, the first calligrapher who apparently wrote Cancellaresca with a pointed quill (in 1560).
In the early 20th century, this style by Heuvelman was rediscovered by a Dutch engraver, who published it in a catalogue meant as exemplar for stone masons, engravers etc., and in turn the Dutch sign painter Visser adapted this style for his (mainly) pub letterings. Ramiro Espinoza, type designer, who lives in Amsterdam turned it into a font and all I know about this I found in the chapter by him in 'Hand to Type'. A treasure, that book!
It's a fascinating style, too! Makes me want to learn it.
Andy, I find it really strange that apparently after the 'Universal Penman' there don't seem to be many examples of the English really using that style, or am I wrong?? I vaguely remember a discussion that there are no original writings left of all these people (like Bickham, I mean). Also I have a beautiful little book with love letters, mainly from England, with facsimiles, and the earlier ones are written with some dfferent sorts of Bastarda / Secretary type of scripts, and the later ones in what looks like surprisingly modern, well, just handwriting! Beautiful some, and full of character, but surely not very calligraphic. But I guess for everyday private writing (other than for business purposes) people just didn't care so much about how the actual writing looked – or an individual hand was even looked upon positively. Which, for handwriting, I personally like very much too
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