In the early nineteenth century, a master practitioner of the art of paper cutting in the city of Philadelphia made a technically unparalleled series of cutworks set within a rectangular framework incorporating circles and ovals. In each example, the paper was cut with such singular precision that its overall effect is comparable to the finest lacework.
Thomas Earl Part III: Artist Extraordinaire
When it comes to bold and vivid graphic design in colonial America, the copybook created by New Jersey schoolmaster Thomas Earl in 1740 and 1741 is without precedent. Earl’s pages are simply brighter and more exuberant than virtually any other surviving work.
Thomas Earl Part II: Who Was Thomas Earl?
Identifying the schoolmaster and artist who created the Thomas Earl copybooks has proved challenging. Gravestones and newspapers have provided little help.
Thomas Earl Part I: Schoolmaster, America
Thomas Earl’s two handwritten manuscripts are replete with lessons in arithmetic, geometry, trigonometry, navigation, and astronomy, which he enriched with calligraphic flourishes and stunning watercolor. The books not only served as essential teaching tools, but the second book in particular is tangible proof of his qualifications to teach.