Reynolds Stone exhibition in London: See why we know his work, if not his name
GOOD piece in The Times about Reynolds Stone (1909-1979), one of the greatest 20th century letter-cutters and engravers, who lived in the old rectory at Litton Cheney. He’s not so well known these days (I think the first time I ever heard his name was reporting at Bridport magistrates’ court in the mid-1990s, when somebody was up for stealing books from his library), but as The Times points out, most people in this country possess one of Stone’s works of art:
“The British passport, designed by Stone in 1955, bears his engraving of the royal coat of arms and his elegant lettering.”
There’s a centenary exhibition of Stone’s work coming up in London. Reynolds Stone: Lettering, Logos and Landscapes, runs from Nov 6-21, Tues-Fri, 11am-4pm, Sat 10.30am-6pm, at Schneideman Gallery, 331 Portobello Rd, London W10 (0208 354 7365).
You can read the piece in The Times by clicking on this link, or there’s a website run by Stone’s estate at www.reynoldsstone.co.uk
Various Dorset connections continue: Stone’s son Humphrey, for example, designed the excellent Dovecote Press series Discover Dorset; while one of his disciples, the Bridport graphic designer and carver Michael Harvey, now publishes entertainingly unusual photographic books about subjects such as bicycles and fire hydrants…