(*Portrait
and bio taken with permission from Michael Sull’s Spencerian Script and Ornamental
Penmanship, Volume I.)
Albert D. Taylor
(1863-1898)
A. D.
Taylor, "the Wonder of the Penmanship World," was born near Somonauk,
Illinois on August 21, 1863. His first writing lessons were from H. H. Miller,
a traveling writing teacher. While still in his teens, he won the prize (a
year's subscription to The Business Journal, an early penmanship magazine) for
the greatest improvement in penmanship within one year's period.
In 1883
he took a commercial course at Elliott's Business College in Burlington, Iowa,
studying penmanship from noted penman IW Pierson. In 1885 he studied with A. N. Palmer in Chicago for several
months, and in August was employed as a penman by the Bryant & Stratton
Business College of Chicago. After spending a year with this school he spent
some time in New York, then in 1887 he traveled again, accepting a penman's
position at the Los Angeles, California Business College. He remained there for
2 years, afterwards accepting a job with Mr. Elliott once more, returning to
Burlington, Iowa for a 3 year period. During 1892 he was employed to fill out
names on invitations for the World's Columbian Commission. He was next employed
with the Chicago Guaranty Fund Life Society as a policy writer. in the mid
1890's he worked for the Galveston, Texas Business University, performing
duties as penman and correspondent.
Throughout
his life, A. D. Taylor astounded the penmanship profession with his
writing. He succumbed to tuberculosis
at the age of 35 years. Despite his youth, he is remembered as one of the most
highly skilled penmen of all time. His writing was phenomenal it was considered
to be the finest and most perfect that could be performed by the human hand.
Unlike the bold, dramatic style of Madarasz, A. D. Taylor's work was delicate and
fine in detail, with a precision of spacing and letterform that was absolute.
He died in San Antonio, Texas on December 27, 1898.
