3.456 old roofs; Fraktur and Clo Gaelach (105)
Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Mon, 11 Sep 89 20:10:43 EDT
Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 456. Monday, 11 Sep 1989.
(1) Date: 11-SEP-1989 17:17:56 (26 lines)
From: COM3RAE@CLUSTR.TRENT.AC.UK
Subject: Request for books on old roofs (esp. European).
(2) Date: Mon, 11 Sep 89 11:19:22 -0800 (31 lines)
From: Malcolm Brown <mbb@jessica.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Fraktur: a *true* story
(3) Date: 11 Sep 89 09:31:58 bst (23 lines)
From: K.P.Donnelly@EDINBURGH.AC.UK
Subject: Fraktur/Clo Gaelach
(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 11-SEP-1989 17:17:56
From: COM3RAE@CLUSTR.TRENT.AC.UK
Subject: Request for books on old roofs (esp. European).
Try:
The Development of Carpentry 1200-1700
(An Essex Study), pub. 1960,
English Cathedral Carpentry, pub. 1974 and
Church Carpentry, also pub. 1974,
all by Hewett, C.A.
They deal with the techniques of carpentry and woodworking used in
old buildings (mainly churches, cathederals and barns) and develop a
system of dating such buildings sometimes at odds with accepted
academic beliefs. (See Observer Magazine 14th October 1979 p. 43 for
brief article on Cecil Hewett.)
Sorry I cannot respond to the original request for this information -
it was a few months ago and I've deleted it, but I think it hailed from
the UK.
Yours,
Simon Rae: Trent Polytechnic Nottingham, UK.
COM3RAE@UK.AC.TRENT.CLUSTR (or
COM3RAE@CLUSTR.TRENT.AC.UK from BITNET)
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------33----
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 89 11:19:22 -0800
From: Malcolm Brown <mbb@jessica.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Fraktur: a *true* story
Sorry to burden HUMANIST with yet another item on Fraktur (a dead
horse is such an easy target...)
Nietzsche's second publisher, a fellow named Ernst Schmeitzner,
sent a copy of Nietzsche's Menschlisches, Allzumenschliches to
Bismarck, a ploy to drum up interest in Nietzsche's books.
It should be noted that Nietzsche insisted that his books be
printed using latin letters, so that, as he put it, he wouldn't
go blind reading his own works.
Bismarck sent polite thanks to Schmeitzner, but remarked that a
German book printed with latin letters was as unreadable as
a French book would be it if were typeset using Fraktur. (!)
Nietzsche, by the way, when he heard of this, wrote to
Schmeitzner and said:
"nun, geehrtester Herr Verleger, da haben Sie ja die
grosse Handschrift des grossen Mannes. Trotz dem dass
er so artig dankt, glaube ich, im Vertrauen gesagt,
er wirft, wenn er wirklich im Buche liest, es an die
Wand."
Malcolm Brown
Stanford
(3) --------------------------------------------------------------27----
Date: 11 Sep 89 09:31:58 bst
From: K.P.Donnelly@EDINBURGH.AC.UK
Subject: Fraktur/Clo Gaelach
An old style of print called "Clo Gaelach" was used for Irish Gaelic
until about 1940. It is like Fraktur but different. Most young people
in Ireland think it is horrendously difficult, and as a result lots of
old editions of good books in Clo Gaelach are available very cheaply.
In fact it takes about fifteen minutes to become so familiar with the Clo
Gaelach that you don't notice whether you are reading it or modern print.
The spelling revision, which also took place about 1940, causes a bit more
trouble, but only a little bit - it was only a small spelling revision,
and it often has the advantage of showing you the etymylogical derivation
of the word, which might not have dawned on you previously.
I think the Clo Gaelach looks rather nice, and it has the advantage in
bilingual texts of making the structure more aparent to the eye. Does anyone
know where Clo Gaelach fonts can be obtained for HP-Laserjet or Postscript
printers?
Kevin Donnelly,
Edinburgh