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Acornsoft Programming Languages book series

Contributed by D Jones on May 27th, 2021. Artwork published in .
    LISP on the BBC Microcomputer, Arthur Norman and Gillian Cattell.
    Photo: D Jones. License: CC BY.

    LISP on the BBC Microcomputer, Arthur Norman and Gillian Cattell.

    The BBC Microcomputer was a 8-bit 6502 based microcomputer made in the UK in the 1980s. It was designed and built by Acorn, and due to partnership with the BBC it became immensely popular in schools.

    Acornsoft was Acorn’s in-house software division and produced, among other things, professional quality programming language implementations accompanied with good quality manuals. A selection of which is shown here.

    Typography is consistent across the series of manuals: Titles, subtitles, and authors on the covers are in Formula (quite possibly Formula One by Letraset, which would have been popular at the time). Acornsoft’s wordmark on the spine appears to be in ITC Avant Garde Gothic Condensed, with an O that has been replaced by an acorn.

    The programming source code on the cover of LISP is in Courier.

    BCPL for the BBC Microcomputer, Chris Jobson and John Richards.
    Photo: D Jones. License: CC BY.

    BCPL for the BBC Microcomputer, Chris Jobson and John Richards.

    FORTH on the BBC Microcomputer, Richard De Grandis-Harrison. The “curve” on the cover shows two levels of the space-filling Hilbert Curve.
    Photo: D Jones. License: CC BY.

    FORTH on the BBC Microcomputer, Richard De Grandis-Harrison. The “curve” on the cover shows two levels of the space-filling Hilbert Curve.

    The Acornsoft wordmark which features on the spines of all the books.
    Photo: D Jones. License: CC BY.

    The Acornsoft wordmark which features on the spines of all the books.

    Typefaces

    • Formula (Face)
    • ITC Avant Garde Gothic
    • Courier

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