In Memoriam: Alfred Fairbank
Jan Schalkwijk
The Mercator Society of Holland will never forget that it was from Alfred Fairbank that modern italic handwriting came to our country. Chris Brand and Brother Erich played a most important part III introducing his incomparable models and teaching. The distinction of his hand and the clarity and depth of his instruction are worthy of Mercator himself. We can be certain that the gentle Gerardus would have loved the Handwriting Manual as much as Fairbank loved the Literarum Latinarum.
Who can estimate how great his influence has been? No-one. But we can see daily in this country how many people are, despite all the ball-points, discovering the pleasures of the broad pen.
The masterpieces of calligraphy created by this wonderful craftsman - the Horace, the Ecclesiasticus and others - have been a source of inspiration to Dutch calligraphers. We are also grateful to him for the wealth of splendid manuscripts that he brought to light and for all the books he published.
Thank you, Alfred, for everything. The Society for Italic Handwriting and the Mercator Society will miss you: and I myself mourn the loss of a delightful pen-friend.