Craziness :-)
Where is this from?

So, what was the person's name? ;O)

Quick B. Fox.

Given the D signature, I would say "Lazy D.", but it would sound more rapper than monogrammer. ;-)

Seen in the back of Modern Signs and Show Cards by E. C. Matthews published 1952, a supplement to Sign Slogans and Snap Shots.

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Matthews comments:

This elaborate piece of work was done 75 years ago and it was published in a big five dollar book "Alphabets, Monograms, Initials, Crests, Etc." back in 1885. I have one of the few copies still in existence. The original drawing measured 7 3/8 x 9 inches.

Ripley once drew up a simplified version of it for use in his "Believe it or Not." I have heard that the inventor of the linotype machine went crazy because of the very intricate work involved. But I don't know what became of this modest artist who simply signed the monogram with the initial D.

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I picked up that 121 page supplement, which is full of fantastic stuffs, and a first edition The Book of 100 Type Face Alphabets by J. I. Beigeleisen, for just 5 bucks!

thanks for sharing this fantastic image - we print letterpress and would love to reproduce this for an A5 mailer.

Coolness!

If you would like, I could send you a much larger file for your A5 mailer, shoot me email: neil at graphicdeclaration dot com. Glad to contribute, give D some much deserved notoriety.

Interesting to see how far this most awesome monogram gets out there :) Several people have mentioned they want it tattooed!!

Stumbled on this accidentally on Google images and found your blog when hunting for a larger version.

I would jump at the opportunity to own a copy of this.

I would happily be Glasgow Press' first customer.

Thanks very much for the history of the piece.

-Jason