Edward Johnston visited Salt Spring Island in 1898 to camp beside Cusheon Lake near the Phillips log cabin.

1898 was an important year for this young man, who went on to world-wide fame. For 15 years thereafter he taught at the Central School of Arts and Crafts in London, in the newly created lettering department - he also taught at the Royal College of Art in London. In 1906 he published his book "Writing and Illuminating and Lettering", which is still, in the 21st century, considered the most influential book on calligraphy ever written.
(source Encyclopedia Brittanica, and the Edward Johnston Foundation)

"Nobody had such a lasting effect on the revival of contemporary writing as Edward Johnston. He paved the way for all lettering artists of the twentieth century and ultimately they owe their success to him."
Master calligrapher and font designer Hermann Zapf, Honorary President of the Edward Johnston Foundation

His researches were carried out with the understanding of the artist-craftsman, the scientist and the philosopher and this three-fold approach resulted in a profound insight - he fully grasped the root of formal writing and saw how all the branches grew from that root.

"That modern calligraphy ever rose like a phoenix from the ashes of a forgotten craft was largely due to Edward Johnston. It is to his perception of fundamentals that formal penmanship owes its life and continuing tradition today." Heather Child

Edward Johnston 1902