Art, Gold & Silver, Primitives & Rare Books
Lot 237:
Description
Early 19th century penmanship instruction volume titled Running-Hand Copies, Exhibiting a Sketch of the Geography of England, printed in London in 1810 for John Hodgkin by Darton, Harvey & Co., Gracechurch Street. The work was authored by the noted writing master Richard Langford of the Haydon Square Academy in the Minories district of London and was designed as a teaching manual for students to practice elegant running-hand script while simultaneously learning elements of English geography. The long oblong format contains numerous engraved copy plates demonstrating flowing copperplate penmanship including elaborate title flourishes, instructional lettering guides, and geographic exercises listing counties, towns, and rivers. Also present is the advertisement sheet explaining the pedagogical approach of improving writing through transcription exercises. The book retains its original marbled paper boards with plain spine and measures approximately 14.5 x 9 inches, with interior pages showing typical age toning and scattered spotting. An appealing example of an early 19th century educational penmanship manual combining calligraphy instruction and geography study, illustrating the refined script styles taught in British academies during the Regency era.
Share this lot:
