Monograms & Ciphers

A sampling of monograms, ciphers, labels, 

logos and devices, including: two-letter, 

three-letter, ampersand, sacred, year date & 

corporate designs. The vast majority of illustration 

plates in the book depict two-letter monograms.

"There is to-day a growing taste for severe chaste forms in printing types and lettering; the same influence is also directing a change of style in the more decorative Monogram and Cipher. The florid combinations of the last two centuries are gradually falling into disuse, and are giving place to the very simplest forms. The aim of the present work is towards simplicity, but in order that the book may appeal to various tastes, and thus be of greater value, examples of many styles are included.Each of these styles, while based on some familiar form which has long been in use, has had its pruning, and as much of the superfluous flourish not necessary to letter or design has been discarded. 

The styles included may be classed under five principal heads—Roman, Gothic, Sans Serif, Cursive or Running, and what I might call Rustic. These styles are treated in various ways, and in light and heavy letters. Here and there throughout the work a design will be found that may suggest a treatment for some particular device. These are odd pieces that have occurred to me as the plates were in progress, the execution of most of which would probably be more satisfactory in embroidery than any other medium.

There are three principal forms of treating a device; I will call them the Imposed, Extended, and the Continuous forms. By the Imposed form I mean a design where the letters are written or interlaced directly over one another. In the Extended form the letters are interlaced or written side by side. In the Continuous form the device runs from beginning to end without a break. In the Imposed form the principal letter, whether it is first or final, should be accentuated, either by making it slightly larger, heavier, or in some other way best suited to the material in which it is being produced, it may be colour or texture. For the Extended form, if the letters are to be read in the order in which they follow one another, all may be treated alike. In this form, however, it is often advisable, for design and balance, especially when filling a circular space, to place the principal letter in the centre; in that case it may be drawn larger, and in some other way made more important. The Continuous form should read as the letters would be written, and care must betaken to place them so that they will not appear to read in some other way.

It is intended that the Monograms and Ciphers shown in the following plates be considered as outlines only, as models or working drawings. The solid or tint grounds need not be taken as part of the design; they are intended to show which are planned in a round, and which in a square panel. There are but a few cases in which any detail is given that would apply to a particular craft, or suggest the material in which they are to be worked. Each artist or craftsman can use the forms, supplying his own detail to suit the technique of the work in hand. By this means the book should be equally useful to any craft. With this broad rendering it will be noticed that some of the designs do not appear to read in the order described; in such cases the important letter requires that detail which I have suggested in some instances with a tint or black. [..] 

A Monogram^ is a combination of two or more letters, in which one letter forms part of another and cannot be separated from the whole. A Cipher is merely an interlacing or placing together of two or more letters, being in no way dependent for their parts on other of the letters."

[AA Turbayne, Introductory Note, 'Monograms & Ciphers', dated 1912]

"Albert Angus Turbayne (1866-1940) was an American book designer and bookbinding artist. Turbayne was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He worked in London for the London County Council School of Photoengraving and Lithography and also for Carlton Studio. His principal artistic work was the design of books and bindings. He won a bronze medal for book binding design at the Exposition Universelle (1900) in Paris." [source]

I am grateful to my (new) brother-in-law, Colin, for lending me his early edition copy of 'Monograms & Ciphers' by AA Turbayne (1912) from which the above (slightly cropped) images have been scanned. I scanned a whole lot more illustration plates from the book which I'll probably upload somewhere in the near future. The first edition of this book was published in 1905 with equal title credit given to the Carlton Studio Artists, but it didn't have an introductory note and the number of illustrations in that edition is unknown. I presume the 1912 edition became/is the definitive version.

• Amazon lists a number of different editions of 'Monograms & Ciphers', including recently published versions.
• A complete 1906 edition, with modest-sized (?microfilm) scans of all the illustration plates, is available from Project Gutenberg -- this edition includes an identical introductory note to that found in the 1912 edition that I have with me. Oddly, the 1912 introductory note bears a precise writing date in January 1912 (The 1906 & 1912 editions were both printed in Edinburgh, but by different printers) I don't know the reason(s) for these apparent minor aberrations.
• A few of Turbayne's Art Nouveau book cover designs are on display at the Royal Academy of Arts website.
• Minor mention of Turbayne is made in this 1966 article, 'Book Illustration and Design By Canadian Artists 1890-1940 with a list of books illustrated by members of the Group of Seven by Sybille Pantazzi' IN: The National Gallery of Canada Bulletin. [Some of the Canadian artists ended up joining the Carlton Studio in London during Turbayne's time there].
• If anyone hopes to find a monogram of initials to adopt as their own, remember the order doesn't matter in a 2-letter monogram. There is no PK, but there is a KP. That'll do me.

Drawn to Paris

Sketch record of Paris buildings & street

scenes from the 2nd half of the 19th century

Title: Vieille enseigne à l'ours rue du faugourg St Antoine n° 95
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1894
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 11ème Arrondissement
Format: dess. sur calque appliqué : plume et encre, aquarelle ; 24,4 x 15,5 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Un coin de la cour des Prévots, rue Charlemagne
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1890s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier beige : crayon, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache rose ; 24,9 x 14,3 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie






Title: Tourelle au coin de la rue du Temple et de la rue Ste Croix de la Bretonnerie
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1870s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : aquarelle, plume et encre ; 24,2 x 12 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Rue St Louis en l'Isle n° 10
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: ~1880s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 4ème arrondissement
Format: dessin sur papier rosé : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache rose ; 23,3 x 16 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Rue Pirouette 1893
Designed by: Hubert Clerget
Date: 1893
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France)
Format: dessin : encre, plume, aquarelle ; 19 x 13,4 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Rue Mondétour
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1893
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 1er et 2ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier bistre : encre, plume, aquarelle ; 21,6 x 11,7 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Tour de l'ancien Prieuré de St Martin des champs - La fontaine des Arts et métiers rue St Denis au coin de la rue Vert Bois
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1880
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier beige : plume et encre de Chine, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache blanche ; 22,6 x 13,3 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Rue Lepic à Montmartre - Entrée du Moulin Debray (Bal public)
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1880
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 17ème et 18ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier beige : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 26,4 x 14,8 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Rue Cortot à Montmartre, au coin de la rue du Mont Cenis : 18è Clignancourt
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1879
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 17ème et 18ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier bleu : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 26,6 x 14,6 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Rue Boutebrie, chiffonniers
Designed by: Hubert Clerget
Date: 1850
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 5ème arrondissement
Format: dessin : crayon, aquarelle, plume et encre ; 24,3 x 15,6 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Porte rue Quincampoix n° 12
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1879
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier beige : crayon, mine de plomb, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache rose ; 21,4 x 14 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Pont de St Cloud
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1887
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- Environs de Paris. Lieux de A à V
Format: dessin sur papier beige : crayon, aquarelle ; 28,5 x 20 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Poele dans le vestibule de l'hotel de la rue de Braque n° 4 (en plâtre et fayence attribué à Germain : 3e Temple Archives
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1895
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur calque appliqué : crayon noir, aquarelle, plume et encre, lavis d'encre de Chine ; 29,2 x 19,9 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Pavillon chinois, tiré du Jardin turc
Designed by: unidentified
Date: 1800s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : plume et encre, lavis d'encre de Chine ; 28,4 x 21,8 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Passage St Pierre, ancien charnier St Paul au fond de la voûte, la rue St Paul
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1883
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier beige : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache ; 23 x 17,2 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Paris Montmartre : 18è Clignancourt
Designed by: Auguste Louis Marie Ottin
Date: 1883
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 17ème et 18ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : crayon, aquarelle, plume et encre ; 35 x 25 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Notre Dame vue du quai de l'hotel de Ville
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1800s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur calque appliqué : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache ; 24,9 x 13,7 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: N° 16 rue du fouarre : "Une des dernières maisons de la rue, elle est encadrée par des maisons neuves avec eau, ascenseur, gaz, etc"
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1894
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 5ème arrondissement
Format: dessin sur calque appliqué : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache ; 23,5 x 13,2 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: La rue St Bon, escalier qui conduit à la rue de la Verrerie
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1891
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur calque appliqué : lavis d'encre brune, crayon, aquarelle ; 35,7 x 19,9 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: La rue du Mont-Cenis descendante et perspective
de la rue St Rustique : 18è Buttes Montmartre - Clignancourt
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1895
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 17ème et 18ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur calque appliqué : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 26 x 18,5 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: La rue des 7 voies au coin de la rue de l'école polythecnique
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1880
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France)
Format: dessin : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 27,1 x 12,8 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: La Bièvre sort de la rue de Tolbiac pour longer à découvert la rue de la Glacière
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1882
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- Arrondissement (13e)
Format: dessin sur papier brun : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 23,9 x 21,1 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Hotel Vaucanson rue de Charonne n° 51
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1882
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 10ème, 11ème, 12ème, 13ème et 14ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier bleu : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 23,5 x 13,3 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Grand escalier de l'Opéra
Designed by: Hubert Clerget
Date: 1800s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 6ème, 7ème, 8ème et 9ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier gris : crayon, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache ; 27,2 x 22,4 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Fontaine carrefour des rues Poliveau, Geoffroy St hilaire et des fossés St Marcel
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1890
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 5ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier bleu : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache ; 26,8 x 16,8 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Entrée du Couvent des Missions étrangères, rue du Bac 128 derrière l'Eglise des Missions
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1887
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 6ème, 7ème, 8ème et 9ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier bleu : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre, gouache ; 24,8 x 18,6 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Démolitions au 56 rue du Cardinal Lemoine au coin de la rue Clovis
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1886
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 5ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier vert : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache blanche ; 23,6 x 16,2 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: De la porte St Denis à la porte St Martin
Designed by: Vincent Blatter
Date: 1800s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : aquarelle ; 34,5 x 22,6 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Cette arcade qui faisait partie des bâtiments de la Préfecture
de Police fut transportée en ... au Musée Carnavalet ou elle figure
comme porte d'entrée sur la rue des francs-Bourgeois
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1890
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 1er et 2ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : aquarelle ; 35,5 x 19,5 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Belle porte 16 rue des Archives
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1883
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur calque appliqué : crayon noir, aquarelle, rehauts de gouache rose ; 23,6 x 15,7 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Aux Tuilleries
Designed by: Auguste Louis Marie Ottin
Date: 1884
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 1er et 2ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : aquarelle ; 35,3 x 25 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: Appartement de Madame de Récamier, rue de la chaussée d'Antin, salle de repos tenant à celle des bains
Designed by: Charles Percier
Date: 1800s
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 6ème, 7ème, 8ème et 9ème arrondissements
Format: dessin : aquarelle, plume ; 28,8 x 21,5 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: 51 A Darsy 51 Papiers en gros : l' Hotel Bullion 51 rue J. J. Rousseau
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1880
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 1er et 2ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier rosé : crayon graphite, aquarelle ; 22,6 x 14,9 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: 21 rue de l'Hotel-Dieu
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1881
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 2ème et 3ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier rosé : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache blanche ; 23,3 x 16 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie





Title: 16 rue Séguier
Designed by: Jules-Adolphe Chauvet
Date: 1880
Collection Chauvet. Dessins sur Paris et ses environs, Paris (France) -- 6ème, 7ème, 8ème et 9ème arrondissements
Format: dessin sur papier rosé : crayon, aquarelle, lavis d'encre brune, rehauts de gouache ; 23 x 15 cm
Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie

---

---

Jules-Adolphe Chauvet (1828-1906) was a French draughtsman, printmaker and illustrator who apprenticed with the theatrical set designer, Pierre-Luc-Charles Cicéri*. Among a wide portfolio, Chauvet is particularly noted for three diverse bodies of illustrative work.

Obviously, the collection of sketches of buildings and urban scenes in Paris, seen above, constitutes a substantial record of period streetscapes. Chauvet also provided book engravings for such classics as Horace; and, finally, there appears to be a considerable legacy of erotic prints by Chauvet that was distributed privately through a Belgian publishing house.

There are more than 1400 sketches in the Chauvet Collection, available online at BnF's digital library, Gallica.

The views from the Chauvet Collection chronicle architectural history and street life across about three decades in the second half of the 19th century. The drawings provide something of a snapshot of changes with building demolition and renovation in Paris under the direction of Georges-Eugène Haussmann*.

The vast majority of the collection was commissioned from Chauvet by a rich benefactor, Auguste Lesouëf, and the drawings were produced in all of the twenty municipalities (arrondissements) of Paris, although with some specific districts covered more extensively than others. The site sketches were often completed or embellished afterwards. Lesouëf also collected contemporary sketches of Parisian street scenes and the online image set (a small percentage of the original Lesouëf collection) features about 10% of drawings by artists other than Jules-Adolphe Chauvet.

The Chauvet Collection was digitised and placed online in May 2012. The Gallica blog post from the time provides some extensive commentary about the collection's origins and the major artists and collectors involved {translation}.

Previously of particular note in the BibliOdyssey archives [VIA] --::- Paris Boulevards (by M-Potémont, 1877) --<>-- Designer France (architecture/design from ~1700) --<>-- Paris in the 19th Century (various).

This post first appeared on the BibliOdyssey website.

[re: the above images -- some background staining has been reduced; a few of the images were spliced together from screen captures and, whenever it was fairly easy, the library stamp(!) was removed from the posted image]