With all of today’s modern means of communication, handwriting has taken a back seat. Unfortunately, many children are no longer taught the fine art of cursive, which means they probably may not be able to read cursive writing either. That’s such a shame. Just think of the thousands upon thousands of handwritten treasures tucked away in attics or saved in boxes under beds – waiting to be discovered and read! Or the millions of handwritten relics in the Smithsonian’s Archives of American Art – the world’s largest archive for collecting and preserving the papers and primary records of visual arts in America.
Prescriptions from 1896
Every handwritten note is a glimpse into the past – love letters sent during the war years; letters and cards written by children to their parents, and from parents to their children; handwritten receipts and prescriptions from doctors (in a secret form of handwriting that only doctors – and hopefully pharmacists – know); written recipes passed down for generations; and even notes that were passed back and forth between friends during class periods (the first ‘text messages’).
These pieces of paper with their handwritten imprints are memories preserved in print, with handwriting styles unique to each author. Elegant flourishes in the first letter of a word; stylish upstrokes and downstrokes that make the words look like they are dancing in a line; the hooks that define the end of each letter; bold, large letters, or tiny and neat letters – all of these elements contribute to the fine art of the written word.
My heart always beats a little faster when I discover a box of handwritten ephemera! I enjoy reading through the paper, the pages in a diary, the entries in a ledger. Sometimes the handwriting is difficult to decipher, making it a fun challenge to read what someone wrote so many years ago. Oftentimes, I can even tell when something was written by a man or a woman, just from the style of their penmanship. Personalities emerge from the pages – flamboyant to meek and mild – you get a sense of what that person was like just from their handwriting.
Over the years, I have discovered many fun and unique pieces of handwritten ephemera. One of my favorites is a lifetime of postcards written by family members to each other. These short notes give us a peek into their past. I was also thrilled to find a set of diaries from a woman in rural Minnesota. It was fun to read about her life and her joys. Another treasure was a School Friendship Scrapbook filled with notes and clippings from a teenage girl in 1920. This scrapbook included a not-so-nice handwritten letter from her ex-best friend.
I found a handwritten song book from the 1890s. It was filled with original music with rather creepy verses. The book was large, hand-stitched and bound in a strange type of leather – it gave me the chills and I was happy when it found a new home!
Another favorite that made me laugh was a Monthly Time Book that belonged to Chas Walt from 1919. Looks like Chas wasn’t real fond of work! According to his time log for June 1919, he worked five days for one person, then “gone quit”. Worked another 12 days for another person, then “quit”. Worked 1-1/2 days for someone else, and was “fired”. Managed to work another 9 days for someone else, and was “fired” again!
I also uncovered a nondescript box, hidden beneath a desk at an estate sale. The box was filled with medical prescriptions from the late 1800s to early 1900s – talk about an assortment of unique handwriting! From another estate sale of a wealthy family, I found a huge box filled with handwritten ephemera from the early 1900s – receipts, checks, land deeds, insurance policies and more. I could go on and on about more favorites – there have been so many! Each one of these treasures are filled with unique handwriting.
From all these examples, you can see how important and personal the art of handwriting is. Next time you go to type an email or send a text message, take out a piece of paper and your favorite pen and write a handwritten note instead! Pass the note to your friend the next time you see them in person or mail that letter through the post office. Instead of posting about your day on social media, write about it in a diary or journal. Write small love notes to your spouse and tuck them into their lunch box, pocket, purse or wallet. Leave handwritten notes under your kids pillows. Don’t use your laser printer to print recipes you find on the internet – write them down in your own handwriting on recipe cards that you can pass down to your children and grandchildren. Show off your style and your personality with your own handwriting. Keep your handwritten notes and letters together in a box for someone in the future to discover and appreciate. The fine art of handwriting doesn’t have to be lost. We can keep it alive just by putting pen to paper.
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Excellent post and unfortunately so very true about students’ inability to read cursive. I so hope that changes for exactly the reasons you pointed out!
Thanks, Dot! I hope there is a change in our education system, too! Cursive SHOULD be a mandatory lesson!
I so agree with this! I am actually sad for this generation to not know the art of letter writing/reading! When I find any kind of letters/photos/scrapbooks from the past, I am lost in knowing the people involved. A different time, a different way of communicating…but still so real and personal. I often want to trace the family and return these relics to their proper place….feeling guilty selling them! But, as long as they live on and we preserve this history. I think it’s so valuable.
I love that you are helping these handwritten relics find their way to someone who loves them and will preserve them!
What a wonderful post, JD. I grew up in a military family & am now the proud caretaker of the letters my mom wrote to her parents from all around the world detailing the adventures of my youth. When my husband & I taught abroad in the days before cell phones, calling home cost $5/minute which, needless to say, was not a luxury a teacher could afford. Instead I wrote weekly letters which my mom saved as her mom had done before, so that I have memories of those two years preserved in my own handwriting.
You are right,the fine art of handwriting should not be lost. Thank you for that reminder.
Your comment gave me goosebumps! I love that you have these letters – what a special treasure!
So right! I keep a note from both my mother and my father pinned to the wall at home, because seeing their distinctive scripts brings them close to me, if only for a minute.
I completely understand, Laurie! When I see my Mom’s handwriting on cards, notes, and her to-do lists, it makes me feel like she is still here with me. I know you will treasure those notes from your parents on your wall forever!
JD, I love this. After my mom passed I found post cards she had sent to her parents while out traveling around the country in her 20’s, one before I was born. My mom had impeccable handwriting. You just don’t see that king of beautiful penmanship anymore. So sad.
What a treasure you have, Pam! Something to always remember your Mom by – that’s perfect!
I couldn’t agree more. I love to find a recipe from a family member in their own handwriting and it’s not unusual for myself and my family to know who wrote that recipe or letter just by the handwriting. They are almost heirlooms. When my Mom passed, I found a manila envelope marked “letters from Tina” and when I opened them I realized it was from a school year I had spent away from my Mom. Let me tell you there were some tears flowing. I hope today’s generation does not miss out on these special memories.
Oh, Tina! I understand the tears. I love that your Mom kept your letters, and that you still have them. I know when I see notes I wrote to my Mom long ago, they make me cry, too. Kindred spirits.
I agree that there is something special about the handwritten note. It is unique, it tells you about the person who wrote it. Like Linda, I have all of the notes that Neal wrote, as we met by chance while I was living in Florida and he was in Philly. We had 9 months of long distance dating and phone calls were limited to 5 minutes. Writing letters to each other allowed us to become best friends. That is more than a piece of paper. More than ink.
I have a personal disappointment with the loss of handwriting in school as a mom. The decision makers fail to take into account is the medical aspect of it: how the connection between the hand and the brain enhances brain function. As a mother of a child with learning/memory issues and dysgraphia, cursive was actually an easier way for my youngest to write. It wasn’t the disjointed stopping and starting of printing; his cursive was actually beautiful, where his printing is elementary still today. Sadly, he only had one year of cursive (3rd grade) and other than short notes in reading journals (and mom forced thank you notes), he doesn’t even have to write anymore. As he enters high school this year, all of his school papers have been typed in Googledocs for the past 3 years and will continue to be so in high school.
It’s pretty sad that many kids of today won’t even have a unique, practiced signature. The loss of handwriting is a loss of personalization. A loss of uniqueness.
And btw, I agree with you: I am still a pen and paper list maker, note (chore list) leaver and card sender, Christmas letters and all (tho I do type the letter now but still sign each of the 100+ cards. ). I think it tells the person they are worth my time.
Thanks for this post, JD. I really enjoyed this one!
Terri, you bring up so many great points! I love that you have your notes between you and Neal – those are precious memories, for sure! I remember spending hours and hours perfecting my signature when I was a teenager – without cursive, it’s hard to have a unique and personal signature! Your comment about cursive being easier to write makes so much sense – I don’t understand how schools don’t realize how important this is (despite budget cuts, etc.). Handwritten notes and lists get ingrained in our memories and makes everything so much easier to remember! Just like long-hand note taking in school, right? And yes, these handwritten notes show people how much we care! Again, all great points, Terri! Thank you for sharing!
I mourn the daily loss of our greatest generation with their beautiful script. Perhaps we could do some kind of exchange. Let younger people help us (me) with our tech and we teach them the genteel art of handwriting. I am appalled by notes I read at work because I can’t identify anyone’s printing because it all looks the same! I love the unique way one’s personality comes through in their cursive. Thank you for the wonderful post!
Love your idea of exchanging knowledge, Mary Ellen! Cursive for technology – a great idea! Thank you!