Anatomy of a Ninteenth-Century Penmanship System

One week (plus a leap day) left to get a letter from the Onyx Court! (I'm slightly behind on answering a few letters I've received, but vow not to let "slightly" become "a lot.")

A while ago I mentioned the Spencerian System of Practical Penmanship, which kniedzw had bought a while ago -- a reproduction of an 1864 course in penmanship. I struggled with the conflicting impulses to doooooo iiiiiiiit and to run far, far away, and ended up falling partial victim to the former. Being a grown adult with fine motor control and experience in writing, I decided I didn't need to fill out every workbook in its entirety . . . but it wouldn't hurt me to do the first line of each page.

(This was mostly true. Hand cramps were, however, a genuine factor.)

So if you would like to follow me on my odyssey through the nineteenth century -- including many illustrative photos -- come behind the cut . . . .

( In which the system is both too fascist, and not fascist enough. )

. . . and if you get an Onyx Court letter with some really awkward-looking capitals, you'll know to blame P.R. Spencer. :-)