Zaner’s Gems of Flourishing by C.P. Zaner… Designed to meet the needs of those seeking ... perfection in this beautiful art.

[PENMANSHIP]. - Charles Paxton ZANER (1864-1918, calligrapher & author).

Zaner’s Gems of Flourishing by C.P. Zaner… Designed to meet the needs of those seeking improvement and perfection in this beautiful art. [No place, but probably Columbus, Ohio]: 1888. Oblong octavo (6 1/8 x 8 3/8ins; 155 x 213mm).  Pp.[1-]7-63[- 64]: front blank leaf, portrait of Zaner (verso blank), title (verso blank), copyright statement on page numbered ‘7’ (verso blank), dedication on page numbered ‘9’ (verso blank), ‘Preface’ on page numbered ‘11’ (verso blank), 8pp. of text on pages numbered 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 22, 24, 26.  25 full-page illustrations on pages 15, 17, 19, 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31, 33, 35, 37, 39, 41, 43, 45, 47, 49, 51, 53, 55, 57, 59, 61, 63. Other pages blank. (Unfortunate spots to portrait, tile and two preliminary leaves, final leaf detached, otherwise excellent). Original textured paper-covered boards (imitation crocodile?), titling in brown to upper cover (worn, covers and endpapers detached, backstrip damaged).

‘Do not think the technique employed is the only method — “there are others” — as many as there are artists, so do not follow, but invent’ (Zaner). Rare: OCLC shows up an issue with 88 pages, but not this 64-page edition. Both have the same copyright date.

Zaner “was born near Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. He attended G. W. Michael's Pen Art Hall course in penmanship in Oberlin, Ohio, in 1882. By 1888, Zaner had been a teacher of penmanship at two Ohio colleges, and after the second had closed, he decided to open his own college where he could teach the art. Zaner's school was originally known as Zanerian Art College and was a joint venture with Lloyd Kelchner. In 1891, Zaner sold Elmer W. Bloser a share of the school. Kelchner left before the end of the year, resulting with Zaner and Bloser becoming equal partners. This company eventually became what is now the Zaner-Bloser Company and operated] the Zanerian College of Penmanship in Columbus, Ohio.

Zaner died on the evening of December 1, 1918, in Mifflin, Ohio, when the car in which he was riding was struck by an oncoming train.

Zaner examined the idea of movement creating the form of letters written in the cursive hand using the muscular arm method, prevalent in the United States from the late 19th century (e.g. Palmer Method). He considered the hinge action of the forearm as the central energy of movement and that its relation to the direction of writing, or page angle, could affect letter form and the effort required. By changing from a page angle which placed letter down strokes on a line towards the center of the body, as other educators advised, Zaner offered a means to link muscle effort with balanced (medium), condensed (compact style), or extended (running hand) letter forms.

In handwriting courses such as the Palmer Method the fingers used to support and steady the hand on the page for arm movement were fixed in relation to the pen, for example, “the nails of the third and fourth fingers should rest lightly on the paper, and should follow the course of the pen in every direction”.

Zaner's lessons in business and ornamental penmanship attempted to describe how professional writers of these styles used the 'rest' fingers to control movement. For writing lower case letters, Zaner explained the technique of letting the little finger slide to right in making up strokes, but to rest or drag for down strokes in order to improve control of the arm movement. This required the joints of the rest fingers to act on the down strokes, independent of those holding the pen, which Zaner termed as hand action.” (wikipedia).