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Pen And Penmanship Variance According To Region And Religion?


Walkertrex

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Good Morning,

 

Thank you for accepting my registration to your site!

 

I am currently enrolled in an American History course at my local university. The subject area for my final paper includes a reflection on sociological and demographic variables apparent in regional and religious differences in penmanship. I have been reading through various posts on your site and have been fascinated with all the information and discussions!! I would be ever so grateful for any info or sources noting examples of differences in writing tools and penmanship according to region and religion in early America. For example, how might the chirography of a New England merchant differ from that of a Quaker abolitionist in Philadelphia, a Catholic in Maryland or a Planter in the antebellum South? How might their writing tools or ink significantly differ? Please forgive me if this has been already covered in a previous post that I've not been able to locate as yet.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

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As you are taking this subject, then it would be more benefit to you if you carried out your own research.

They came as a boon, and a blessing to men,
The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen

Sincerely yours,

Pickwick

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There is a forum devoted to Penmanship, it also has some literature pinned to the top of the forum. Try there....

 

Happy hunting!

http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/7260/postminipo0.png http://img356.imageshack.us/img356/8703/letterminizk9.png When one is too old for love, one finds great comfort in good dinners. Zora Neale Hurston
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Good Morning,

 

Thank you for accepting my registration to your site!

 

I am currently enrolled in an American History course at my local university. The subject area for my final paper includes a reflection on sociological and demographic variables apparent in regional and religious differences in penmanship. I have been reading through various posts on your site and have been fascinated with all the information and discussions!! I would be ever so grateful for any info or sources noting examples of differences in writing tools and penmanship according to region and religion in early America. For example, how might the chirography of a New England merchant differ from that of a Quaker abolitionist in Philadelphia, a Catholic in Maryland or a Planter in the antebellum South? How might their writing tools or ink significantly differ? Please forgive me if this has been already covered in a previous post that I've not been able to locate as yet.

 

Many thanks in advance.

 

 

For your consideration..tool to help in Your research..Google Custom Search for the Fountain Pen Network...

 

 

https://www.google.com/cse/home?cx=016372583718073050395:1rsitsemrpo

 

Fred

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Freddy and Raiche, thank you so much! The penmanship forum is amazing and the google search is very helpful. Once this semester is over, I think I will need to spend some time on the other forum categories and see if I can create a shortlist of choices for a first fountain pen... :D

 

Pickwick, to clarify, I am seeking sources on this topic such as literature (books, articles, photos), cultural events/exhibits etc. When undertaking research, it is customary to participate in discussions with others who have more knowledge and expertise in the topic area such as members of this group do. Such discussions are very useful in broadening general understanding, narrowing focus, and finding sources that are most relevant to the topic at hand.

Edited by Walkertrex
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You might want to look in small, local museums to see if they have any of the penmanship books that schools would have used. See if there is any difference between Church-run schools and secular schools.

 

Also see if any of the major national libraries have examples of handwritten documents online.

For example, the National Library of Australia has a number of manuscripts, including Captain Cook's original journal To Australians, this is akin to Americans having access to Columbus's log.

fpn_1412827311__pg_d_104def64.gif




“Them as can do has to do for them as can’t.


And someone has to speak up for them as has no voices.”


Granny Aching

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Freddy and Raiche, thank you so much! The penmanship forum is amazing and the google search is very helpful. Once this semester is over, I think I will need to spend some time on the other forum categories and see if I can create a shortlist of choices for a first fountain pen... :D

 

Pickwick, to clarify, I am seeking sources on this topic such as literature (books, articles, photos), cultural events/exhibits etc. When undertaking research, it is customary to participate in discussions with others who have more knowledge and expertise in the topic area such as members of this group do. Such discussions are very useful in broadening general understanding, narrowing focus, and finding sources that are most relevant to the topic at hand.

 

Additionally...consider books by Joe Nickell..Pens Ink and Evidence...

American Penmanship 1800-1850, by Ray Nash Nash..and..

The Handwriting of American Records for a Period of 300 Years:

Guide to Reading Old Writing..by Kay E. Kirkham.....

 

 

Fred

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  • 2 weeks later...

Dear dcwaites and Freddy- thanks so much for your suggestions! I was able to get some of the materials through an inter-library loan and have really enjoyed researching this area. I will be presenting my findings tomorrow in class. Am looking forward to learning more about all things fountain pen related in this group.

 

Thanks again and best wishes!

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Dear dcwaites and Freddy- thanks so much for your suggestions! I was able to get some of the materials through an inter-library loan and have really enjoyed researching this area. I will be presenting my findings tomorrow in class. Am looking forward to learning more about all things fountain pen related in this group.

 

Thanks again and best wishes!

 

Walkertrex, it is my pleasure. Welcome Aboard!

 

Fred

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Would it be possible for you to track down facsimiles of documents -- letters, wills, etc. -- in order to do comparisons of the style(s)?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

"It's very nice, but frankly, when I signed that list for a P-51, what I had in mind was a fountain pen."

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Would it be possible for you to track down facsimiles of documents -- letters, wills, etc. -- in order to do comparisons of the style(s)?

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

Ruth:

Interesting point. When I first saw the OP, my thought was "just google manuscript letters." In fact this does bring up a lot of interesting images. But I'm surprised at how few good collections of manuscripts seem to be on the Web. I'd think it was the most obvious thing in the world for a library or private collection to scant their manuscripts, organize them into a directory, and put them on line. But not even the enormous collection at the Library of Congress seems to be available. And it literally belongs to the people of the USA.

ron

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Genealogists prefer to work from the primary sources of documents that have not been transcribed, if these are available, and so genealogical sources do try to make such documents available.

There are large "collections" of handwriting examples in the census images for every US census released so far (1790-1940). These can be accessed, often free through Heritage quest or Ancestry.com at a public library or, if your library does not subscribe to either, then by subscribing to Ancestry.com.

 

Some examples of censuses and other handwritten records can be found free on FamilySearch.org.

 

The problem with things like this is that while you do have a name of the person doing the census, you may not know the identifying facts about him or her which could be important to the research.

 

For example - there was a lot of moving around. Where did that person learn to write? When did they learn to write?

 

Sometimes you may be able to find baptismal records online - that would give you both a religion and a place, but not necessarily information on who exactly filled in the certificate.

 

I believe George Washington's papers are online, but how do which know which clerk wrote which document for whom?

 

In other words, there are perhaps unexpected sources of visual scans or handwriting, but being able to pin them to a particular person with a particular upbringing and religion might present difficulties.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Although not American history (which I only assume to be your focus), there is an English book titled "HANDWRITING A National Survey", by Reginald Piggott, Allen and Unwin, 1938.

 

From the dustjacket: "In a National Survey of Handwriting in 1957, Mr. Piggot collectd many thousands of examples of handwriting....He contrasts the standards of legibility of different professions and trades, the types of pen and style used, and proportions of left and right-hand writers to be found int he various occupations...Reproductions of more than 400 typical specimens illustrate the text of what in undoubtedly the most authoritative book so far published in this field."

 

Good luck on your studies,

 

gary

Edited by gary
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  • 2 weeks later...

My parents and my wife's parents were taught handwriting`in the 20s----- they were in school in different parts of the country.

all of their handwriting is almost identical. I suspect that this \is the result of the teachers all using the sane instructional materials

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