I found little information about the author Ernst Bentele on the Internet. although this reference book must have been the reference book for sign painters —it is still relatively easy to get hold of a copy. Bentele explains the basics of letter construction and design, with a particular focus on the implementation of large lettering on facades. He introduces the major lettering styles and shows many variations. And even if you don’t read a line in this book—the sample alphabets and lettering in 1950s style are a great inspiration.