The Eternal Letter by Paul Shaw

B4030. The Eternal Letter by Paul Shaw. Hardcover; 258 pages; 9.25" x 11.75"

Explore the timeless impact of classical Roman capital letters with Paul Shaw. This richly illustrated book delves into the lasting influence and numerous variations of this iconic letterform. Celebrating the 2000th anniversary of Trajan's Column in 2014, this book highlights the continued relevance of serif typefaces like Times Roman, despite the popularity of sans serif fonts.

Featuring essays by leading experts in typography, lettering, and stone carving, The Eternal Letter covers:

• The subtleties and evolution of the classical Roman capital letter
• Contributions by renowned typographers and craftsmen
• Efforts to calculate the geometric formulation of Trajan letters
• The development of popular typefaces like Adobe Trajan
• Influences on modern typefaces such as Matinia, Senatus, and Penumbra

Paul Shaw, an award-winning graphic designer, typographer, and calligrapher, teaches at Parsons School of Design and the School of Visual Arts. Shaw brings his expertise to this comprehensive exploration of letter design.

"Thus, despite their strong presence throughout its pages, the book is not about inscriptions from the Roman Empire. They are merely the starting point for an investigation into how and why the Classical Roman capital has been revived, altered, and adapted not only as a letter carved into stone, but as one cut into wood, written with ink and paint, cast into lead, and converted into pixels." ––Paul Shaw, Introduction: The Classical Roman Capital.