The 1878 predecessor to Atkinson, as an instant download.

The Art of Lettering and Sign Painter’s Manual (1878) by Allen P. Boyce is the early complete sign-painter’s manual — the “up to now” of its own day and the predecessor to Atkinson’s 1909 book. Lettering alphabets and sign-painter’s practice from the dawn of the trade-literature era.

Inside this 1878 textbook:

Allen P. Boyce’s 1878 textbook covers gold leaf and gilding for signs across 90 pages — the everyday knowledge of the wall dog’s kit. For sign painters and pinstripers restoring old signs or learning the trade’s roots, it is firsthand testimony.

Details:

• Complete 1878 edition scan — 90 pages
• Complete 1878 sign-painter’s manual
• Alphabets and trade practice from the early era
• Lettering alphabets drawn for the sign painter’s brush
• Shop methods for layout, spacing, and finish work
• Two files included: the original scan, cleaned of dust, stray marks, and handwritten notes, and a cleaned white-background edition that's easy on the eyes and the printer
• PDF format, instant download after purchase — no physical book ships