Elizabeth Colwell (1881–1961), was an American printmaker, typographer and writer who became known for her distinctive designs, bookplates, hand-lettering, poetry and books. Colwell was born in Bronson, Michigan and spent much of her life in Chicago. In 1901, Colwell started her studies at the Art Institute of Chicago where she learned to cut, ink, and print woodblocks. She loved the art of Japanese woodblock printing and used this style to emphasize her austere visual language with a simple palette. She traveled to England where she studied under Emery Walker, a prominent figure in the Arts and Crafts movement and a master printer.
In 1909 she published a book of poetry; Songs and Sonnets, which she designed and illustrated herself. In 1910, she published On the Making of Wood-Block-Color Prints. In 1916, as a typographer, she developed the "Colwell Hand Lettera"– at the time she was one of the only women in the field of typography. During the Depression, Colwell participated in the Works Progress Administration (WPA). One of her paintings from the period, Bowl of Fruit, a watercolor and tempera on panel, survives, and can be seen at Western Illinois University.
Today, Elizabeth Colwell's woodblock prints can be seen at the Smithsonian American Art Museum and at the Minneapolis Museum of Art.
Here is one of Colwell's fonts:
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