Ahh...the lost art of Penmanship! In this Collier's Encyclopedia from 1882 there are several chapters on writing and penmanship. They even have illustrations showing the correct way to sit and hold one's pen, as I guess now there are manuals on the proper way to sit at a keyboard. Posture perfect! But look at how beautiful the writing was...it was truly an art form. All the flourishes and swirls, and even the difference between a "Ladies hand", and a "Standard" one. And this book was 50 cents at a barn sale! More reasons to head out on a chilly & rainy saturday morning in April. David's cousin Bobby Cramer & his talented wife Holly have a wonderful old house and a barn they painted blue...and it's full of great stuff. Bobby does restorations and has a magnificent garden, and Holly makes all kinds of quilts, creatures, painted boxes, and jewelry. It's always inspiring to see them and their talented daughter Leigh, who writes stories and paints. Family fun!
I grew up with this book sitting on my dad's piano, and when I was little I'd spend hours reading through it. I taught myself how to write with the penmanship pages, thinking "wow, this book will be 100 years old soon!" I remember being in 2nd grade and having the awful "Nellie Thomas" handwriting pushed on me, but I insisted on sticking to what I learned in the 1882 Cyclopedia.
ReplyDeleteMy mom gave the book away while I was in college, and it took me years to figure out what it was. I finally tracked down a copy ten years ago but in the shuffle of a couple moves have lost it again. :) So, thank you for posting what you did; may I copy the "standard/ladies" hand page?
Regards,
Eric