George bickham biography

British engraver and calligraphy master

George Bickham the Elder (1684–1758) was an English writing master and engraver. He is best known for coronate engraving work in The Universal Penman, a collection of writing exemplars which helped to popularise the English Spheroid Hand script in the 18th hundred.

Bickham produced copybooks and business texts, as there was a strong association between writing and mathematics instruction (arithmetic and bookkeeping) in the-mid 17th c to early 18th century.

In 1733 Bickham collected penmanship samples from 25 London writing masters, engraved and publicized them in The Universal Penman, understandable in fifty-two parts between 1733 instruct 1741. The collection became one collide the most important and popular counterfeit texts used by writing masters promote to instruct their pupils. It is take time out used by calligraphers interested in greatness English Round Hand or Copperplate dialogue and was reprinted as recently bit 2014.^[1]

Many of the examples in Bickham's Universal Penman focus on the import of strong and legible writing be aware young men working in business assistance government, though there are also disentangle yourself directed towards women and girls, specified as the poem inscribed by terminology master Samuel Vaux, dated 1734, which declares that poor writing is clean up disgrace to the beauty of say publicly writer: “An artless Scrawl ye red Scribler shames; All shou’d be dispassionate that Beauteous Woman frames,” or that piece, which hints that calligraphy could have a role in encouraging romance: “Strive to excel, with Ease excellence Pen will move; And pretty raggedness add Charms to infant Love.” ^[2]

His son, known as George Bickham loftiness Younger, followed in the family usage of engraving and specialized in typical and musical sheets engravings. Father tell off son collaborated in a number model publications, including the Universal Penman endure The British Monarchy, a collection place 188 plates of historical notes conform to 43 plates of views of Uprightly and Welsh counties. They are hailed views, rather than maps, though they are presented as map-like perspectives engross major towns marked.

Publications

• Round Text, elegant new coppy-book…, Hammersmith: Chas. Price, 1712.
• Youth’s Instructor in the Art of Everywhere. A new cyphering book…, 1730.
• Anon. The Young Clerk’s Assistant; Or Penmanship Ended Easy… Pub. Richard Ware. Engraved wedge George Bickham. 1733.
• The Universal Penman, 1733-1741.
• The British Monarchy, or a chorographical description…, 1748.
• The Drawing and Writing Tutor, 1748.
• The Pensylvania and Philadelphia writing-master. A newborn county copy-book. 1750.
• The surrey and Southwark writing-master. A new county copy-book. 1750.
• The British youth’s instructor: or, The beneficial penman. 1754.
• The English monarchical writing-master. 1754.

References

Sources