Letterforms Study Group: Corsivo Inglese in Caratteri—1. Milano

June 9, 2025 | Day 1—Archivio Bertarelli

Workshop with James Clough

This was the first official day of the Letterforms Study Group at Tipoteca tour and workshop. We were starting in Milano so that the participants could receive a grounding in Roundhand, the 18th century English script commonly referred to as Copperplate or wedding script which is the basis for the corsivo inglesi typefaces we would be studying at the Tipoteca. James Clough, an expatriate Englishman long resident in Milano, who has both practical experience with Roundhand during a decades-long career as a lettering artist and scholarly knowledge of the script and its evolution, was our guest leader for the day.

James Clough explaining aspects of Roundhand as exemplified in ephemera from the Archivio Bertarelli collection. Looking on are: Yasmin Rodriguez, Janet Elliott, Gabriella Miyares, Erin Roche, and Josse Pickard. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Inglese and Italiano scripts from La Moderna Coltura Calligrafica by D. Biagio and Costentino Santerini (1839). Image courtesy of the Archivio Bertarelli.

James conducted a combined lecture and calligraphy class. Initially he showed us both ephemeral examples of Roundhand and instances of it in several 19th century Italian writing manuals. He also brought a binder of Italian letterheads from various businesses, many of which included versions of corsivo inglese. After explaining the origins and evolution of Roundhand and describing its features, he demonstrated the basic strokes of the script and emphasized the roles that pressure played in writing with a pointed nib. Then, everyone had a go at writing Roundhand themselves.

James Clough demonstrating how to write Roundhand with a pointed nib. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

Gabriella Miyares, Janet Elliott, and Erin Roche practicing Roundhand script. Photograph by Paul Shaw 2025.

After the morning session at the Archivio Bertarelli James led us to Van Bol & Feste, a renowned Milanese panini cafe that was located nearby. We had a delightful lunch—Chiara, Lucio Passerini’s widow, joined us—and then headed for the Stazione Centrale. We took a frecciarossa fast train to Mestre, a local train to Treviso, and then a van to the Villa Bolzonello in Cornuda. Tomorrow, the workshop begins.

Group photograph at the Archivio Bertarelli. From left to right: Eran ben Barak, Fabrizio Falcone, Josse Pickard, Janet Elliott, Paul Shaw, Gabriella Miyares, Henri-Paul Bronsard, James Clough, Yasmin Rodriguez, Julian and Breanna Parolini, Dana Kadison, Earl Kallemeyn, and Riccardo De Franceschi. Eran (an alumnus of Legacy of Letters 2023) and Fabrizio (James Clough’s collaborator on his forthcoming book on monograms) were guests.

Letterforms Study Group: Corsica Inglese in Caratteri—2. Cornuda