Villu Toots (August 24, 1916 – April 10, 1993) was an internationally known Estonian calligrapher, book designer, educator, palaeographer and author.
Villu Toots was born on August 24, 1916, in Reval, Russian Empire (now Tallinn, Estonia).
He spent the hard-earned money on field trips to European art centers at the time: France, Austria, Hungary, Germany and Poland.
[1] During the last year of World War II in 1945 Villu Toots moved to Tallinn to focus more on book design.
Also the Tallinn State Applied Art Institute of the ESSR could not fulfil the demand for artistic writing.
Other well-known students of Kirjakunsti Kool also include Villu Järmut, Ilmar Vallikivi, Henno Käo, Emil Lausmäe, Rein Maantoa, Arvo Pärenson, Ain Kaasik and many others.
[4] One of his greatest contributions to the Estonian culture are his books on calligraphy and type design, that also give insight to the history of writing, different scripts and typefaces.
American calligraphy magazine Scribe dedicated their issue of winter 1978 and spring 1979 to the works of Villu Toots.
Books Collections of calligraphical works Despite living behind the Iron Curtain Villu Toots was able to keep in touch with notable people all over the world.
First distant acquaintances were colleagues from Moscow: Solomon Telingater, Vadim Lazurski, Pavel Kuzanyan and Maxim Shukow.
Contacting outside of the Soviet Union started in 1954 with a calligrapher from Bruges, Jef Boudens, who was seeking help for writing books.
Villu Toots also kept friendly ties with Donald Jackson, official scribe and calligrapher to the Crown Office of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.