1871 Draughtsman's Alphabets. A Series of Plain and Ornamental Alphabets Designed especially for Engineers, Architects, Draughtsmen, Engraves, Painters &c.
Oblong cloth 8vo; (2), 25, (1) leaves. Arguably the most popular American lettering alphabet books, the number of later editions rose into the twenties, though they all retained the same 1877 copyright date. Those editions were expanded to 31 plates, including more topographical and ornamental elements like hill shading and corner designs, and omitted several striking plates from this edition, including a series of word and number specimens (plates 19-21) and natural features, as well as the rather lovely “Letters for Rivers” (22) and “Woodlands” (25). Sold alongside Keuffel & Esser’s industry-standard surveying equipment, drafting tools, and other trade necessities, Esser’s Alphabets was possibly the most widely referenced lettering book for professional draftsmen. Only 4 copies listed in OCLC and incredibly rare in commerce, particularly desirable due to the variation in contents from the once ubiquitous (and still fairly scarce) later printings.