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By DAPHNE McCULLOUGH
DICK PIERSON of Amissville considers himself one of the last practitioners of a dying art, a master of a craft that is no longer being properly taught. He is a calligrapher of the old school, instructed in' that discipline at the Zanerian College of Penmanship.
Produced chiefly by brush, calligraphy is a highly decorative handwriting with a great many flourishes. “The Catholic Church still teaches calligraphy but they don’t reach the same plateau of professionalism. Now, I’m not saying that they’re not any good, but it just isn’t the same.” Neither is his alma mater, Dick maintains. Although the Zanerian College still teaches calligraphy, he feels the quality of instruction has dropped since the art department died in the late 60’s.
The College taught the ZanerBlowser style of penmanship and still produces elementary school penmanship workbooks that reflect this style. Dick was one of Parker Blowser’s last pupils. He also studied under E. A. Luper and Adrian Tolley, the White House penman for over 40 years. “I was taught by three of the finest penmen in the world but what I do is Piersonian—my style is really my own.”
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