James “Bruce” Meek considered Don A. Glaser a friend and a fellow engraver, although Don’s engraving was a hobby and not equal to the work done by top professionals. Still, Don clearly had good graver control and metal working skills. The problem for him, like many engravers, was often design.

So Bruce made a special gift for Don…the engraved personalized plate you see here. Certainly Don valued such a wonderful present from a man he clearly admired in many ways. If you analyze this plate carefully, there is an amazing combination of scroll types, lettering and a nice bulino figure. So, hidden in this gift was a personal lesson in engraving design and execution from Bruce Meek to Don Glaser.

Very few of us will ever receive something like this. Hopefully you enjoy this story. But more importantly, study the plate carefully to get your own lesson from James B. Meek, author of The Art of Engraving.

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Meek's Lesson Plate, JPG: 5.9 MB, 300 DPI, 5.5" x 8" approx.