The Art of Line Drawing
"Nothing Like It Ever Published Before. Something Entirely New. Something That Everybody Wants. Something That Has The Most Enthralling Interest For All."
Now that is an introduction! These statements appear on the title page of the 1881 how-to book, "Real Pen Work, Self-Instructor in Penmanship." Published by Knowles & Maxim in St. Catharines and Pittsfield, Massachusetts, this book teaches people to write in a proper cursive hand and how to do ornamental penmanship. The illustrations throughout are quite beautiful and impressive just as the authors intended, "This Book is the largest, and by far the best and most elegantly work ever published on the subject of penmanship."
Of course, there was money to be made with this venture. The book cost a dollar and you could also purchase pens, inks and tracing paper from Knowles & Maxim for a little extra.
This book and an agent's guide to selling the work and ink cartridges can be found in the Brock University Archives - http://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/14093. Click "View / Open" to see the entire book.
