W is one of those letters that it would appear are popular to start sentences with. It is one of the largest vintage letter image categories on Reusable Art. That’s why it’s always a pleasant surprise when I find a new one to share with you. This letter W with vines dates back to at least 1878. That was when it was included in a book of poetry entitled Ballads of Beauty.
Letters of this style have been found in a number of different publications which confirms my suspicions that they were part of a set sold by a print foundry. Print foundries provided lead type (early precursors to today’s fonts), graphical elements and drop cap letters. Much like we would visit a site like Reusable Art or a stock photo site, years ago, publishers relied upon print foundries for the art they needed.
Enough of the history lesson and let’s get to the letter W I’ve found to share with you. This letter W features a capital letter in dark print with the arms of the letter alternatingly thick or thin. The leafy vines are wrapped around the letter and add a lot of height and visual interest to the letter image. It could be colorized with a light wash of color, the leaves and vines could be filled in or you could easily crop off some of the vines on the bottom of the letter to make it shorter.
No matter how you use this letter W image, rest assured that it is in the public domain.
This image is copyright free and in the public domain anywhere that extends copyrights 70 years after death or at least 120 years after publication when the original illustrator is unknown.
