Jill Gage on “The Best Penman of our Age”: The Lettering of George Salter

Sponsored by The Caxton Club

Zoom event open to the public.

September 27, 6:30pm Chicago time

George Salter (1897–1967) was a German-born and, from 1940 on, American calligrapher, book and book jacket designer, illustrator, and teacher who revolutionized the world of book jacket design. His design work ranged from best sellers for Alfred A. Knopf to serial mystery magazines. The Newberry Library holds Salter’s papers, which include original artwork, proofs, and notes related to many of his designs. Jill Gage, Custodian of the John M. Wing Foundation on the History of Printing and Bibliographer for British Literature and History at the Newberry Library will discuss Salter’s work, focusing on the creative and adroit lettering styles that lead the calligrapher Lloyd Reynolds to call him “the greatest penman of our age.” Gage will also lead a tour of the Newberry exhibition, A Show of Hands: Handwriting in the Age of Print, for Caxtonians.

Register for this program here: https://caxtonclub.org/event-4937579