Circles Angles and Rules. Typographic Design in Commercial Advertising and Printing; Manual of Geometric Units and their Combinations, 1932 [Rare]

Circles Angles and Rules. The Dominating Feature of Typographic Design in Commercial Printing and Advertising; Manual of Geometric Units and their Combinations, n.d. [1932]. The Graphic Arts Company, 121 Chandler Street [later 272 Congress Street], Boston, Massachusetts. 8.75 x 11.75, stiff paper portfolio with (32) heavy paper, loose-leaf plates laid-in. Composition and Presswork by Geo. H. Ellis Co., Inc., Boston, Mass. U.S.A. WorldCat shows only (3) institutional copies in the United States.

From The Day of Geometric Units [Introduction to the Portfolio; Plate 1] — “With the certainty that typographic design will progress still further in mass arrangements with colorings by geometric units, as in building construction with modern materials, this Manual provides an array of units, rules and panels with displays of their uses. The Units are shown in groups with full designations of fonts and quantities [with some plates including prices]. A chart of rule sizes from hair lines to 36-point is provided, with a showing of wood blocks for wider bands and panels.”

Complete. (32) single-sided, heavy paper loose-leaf plates, some sections with more than one plate including: The Day of Geometric Units [Introduction to the Portfolio]; Harlequins—Series 1, 2, 3 and 4; Harlequins—Series 5, 6 and 7; Standard Rules; Modern Nic-Nacs, Directors, Adstyle, Borders and Wave Bands; Pinnate Borders, Typographic Dots; Brass Bodonian Dashes; Sectional Dashes; Combinations of Units; Rule Designs; Combinations of Rules and Units; Initial Designs; Modernistic Decorators; Commercial Forms; Units in Display Lines; Units in Text; Colorful Advertisements; Schemes for Advertisements; Wood Tint Blocks and Border Designs. With the original publishes combination order form [$2.00] and business reply envelope laid-in ... “No Envelope Necessary — Simply Fold, Seal and Stamp.”

Rare. A good paper portfolio with wear and tear along the edges including a heavily chipped and torn spine head and heel. Interior plates unmarked with lightly toned margins and a soft bend to the upper and lower plate corners throughout. A significant artifact that reveals the importance of geometry in typographic design; highly recommended!