Oak Knoll

First edition. Spine faded with some age darkening along edges. Private ownership stamp on front pastedown. Endpapers and pastedowns foxed. Contents relatively clean.

An absolutely momumental achievement by Legros & Grant, this mighty tome is a definitive study of technical printing for its time with encyclopedic chapters on punch-cutting, casting machines, type faces, stereotyping, and 32 other subjects (a complete breakdown of the 36 included subjects are below).

Contents
Introduction, Preface, Acknowledgments [Haec Olim Meminisse Juvabit], Tables, Glossary of Common Technical Terms.
I. Printing-Surfaces, II. Typography, III. Description of Type, IV. Typefounding, V. Type Design, VI. Founts of Type, VII. Units and Dimensions, VIII. Type Faces, IX. Serifs, Proportions, and Weight, X. Logotypes, XI. Legibility. XII. Punch-Cutting, XIII. Matrices, XIV. Moulds, XV. Pumps, XVI. Classifications of Typecasting, Composing, Line-Justifying and Distributing Machinery, XVII. Keyboards, XVIII. Casting Machines, XIX. Composing Machines, XX. Line-Justifying Machines, XXI. Distributing Machines, XXII. Casting and Composing Machines, XXIII. Casting and Line-Justifying Machines, XXIV. Casting and Distributing Machines, XXV. Composing and Line-Justifying Machines, XXVI. Composing and Distributing Machines, XXVII. Casting, Composing, and Line-Justifying Machines, XXVIII. Composing, Line-Justifying, and Distributing Machines, XXIX. Matrix-Composing, Line-Justifying, and Type or Slug Casting Machines, XXX. Impression Machines, Transfer Machines, Type-Bar Machines, Photographic and Unclassified Machines, XXXI. Stereotyping, XXXII. Typographical Etching, Relief Process Blocks, and Electrotyping, XXXIII. The Language of China and Its Typographic Expressions, XXXIV. Hieroglyphic, Cognate, Syllabic, and Other Scripts, XXXV. Ancient and Modern Scripts and Their Uses, XXXVI. Conclusion.
Appendix I. Bibliography, Appendix II. Patents, List of British Patents and Patentees, List of United States Patents and Patentees, Appendix III. Technical Vocabulary, Appendix IV. Note on Standardization and Nomenclature, Appendix V. List of Illustrations.
Index

Lucien Alphonse Legros (1865-1933) was the eldest son of the noted French artist, Alphonse Legros (1837-1911). Lucien became interested in engineering at an early age and apprenticed at numerous companies during his lifetime. He became infatuated with the printing process just before the end of the 19th-century, mostly from his engineering background. It was not long after that Legros met John Cameron Grant, an English civil engineer with experience working with printing equipment.