Some decorated initials from Shaw’s 1845 book of alphabets. The white dots on a black background (criblé) came in early in printing, introduced by Philippe Pigouchet if we are to believe Philip Meggs’s huge book on the history of graphic design :-) Initials like these are great at the start of a section, helping readers find their way round a text. These ones are by Geoffroy Tory, i think (uncredited in the book). #dropCaps #decoratedInitial #vintageEngraving #initialLetter #fobo