Charles E. Skaggs, 1917–2017, calligrapher, book designer art director, teacher.
Charles Skaggs began pursuing a professional graphics career as a 16-year-old, sweeping floors and washing brushes for a Louisville commercial artist Bob Richey. He knew even then that he wanted to develop his lettering skills and to leave Kentucky. He worked in advertising and package design in Cincinnati and Chicago before heading east in 1945 to New York to break into publishing. By the end of the decade, he was a full-time book and jacket designer for many of the prominent publishers of the day. The AIGA selected several of Skaggs’ books for inclusion in its Fifty Books of the Year between 1948 and 1955.1Marlowe, Kimberly B., From Alphabets to Books: A Biography of Charles Skaggs Skaggs “planned the typography,” as the colophon states, of Les Pensées (Limited Editions Club, 1971).
At the urging of George Salter, Skaggs started teaching (calligraphy and the history of the alphabet) at Cooper Union in 1952.2Ibid. Salter recommended Ismar David to Cooper in 1954 and in July, David reached out to Skaggs.
July 26, 1954
Dear Ismar DavidWelcome to the Cooper staff from one who is himself a rather recent (et insignificant) addition.
I get into N.Y. about once a week usually and will be glad to see you and go over what I tried to get across in my year’s teaching. In between current work & getting a new home built, I hope to reorganize my notes and ideas into a more fixed & useable state for the coming year. However there’s no reason we couldn’t talk – tho I may not have much that’s either legible or intelligible to leave with you. Phil Grushkin was of great help to me in this regard just a year ago.
My N.Y. trips are rather unpredictable — but I think I’ll be in on this Thursday –July 29, if you’re free * I can make it maybe we could lunch — or a least get together in the afternoon. Unless I hear from you to the contrary — I’ll probably call you on Thursday — but don’t let this interfere with any plans you may have.*
Looking forward to seeing you — Charles Skaggs
*as I can always try on a later trip.