Spencerian Technology
With the rise in popularity of the ‘slow food movement,’ is a ‘slow communication movement’ also possible?
A few years ago, Daughter-Kate and I dug this rather unimpressive box out of a neighbouring skip.
While generally shabby, closer examination found it to bear certain marks of character and style…inlaid mother of pearl monogram, satin lining of the bluest blue, and an equally royal blue velveteen writing surface.
You see, we found a lovely old writing desk, reminiscent of another unhurried time, when correspondence was measured in weeks and months, rather than seconds and minutes.
In 1874, Platt Rogers Spencer would have advocated that “writing is almost as important as speaking, as a medium for communicating thought. For this reason it is said that ‘writing is a secondary power of speech, and they who cannot write are in part mute.’ Scrawls that cannot be read may be compared to talking that cannot be understood; and writing difficult to decipher, to stammering speech.”
Hmmm….wonder what my handwriting says of me (the above sample not being mine!)? Mostly that I’m hurried, I suppose, stammering lines on a page when I dare to pick up a pen at all. But I’ve always admired beautifully crafted letters on a page. Hey, I remember being taught Spencerian penmanship in primary school…!
With nothing preventing me but my own thinking and untrained hand muscles, why not shut my computer, pick up a pen, dip it in real ink and have a go? Do I think handwriting will replace the keyboard? Of course not, but you know, with practice my correspondence might have less of a stutter!
Lovely box and idea!
07 Feb 2008 at 3:40 am
absolutely beautiful box! What a treasure to have found. Up until a few years ago i used to write letters bi-weekly to in laws, mom, grandmother….i would include pictures, etc. Now sadly letters are so rare with the invention of email. Sadly the prices of stamps keep increasing as well. My mom is a mailcarrier and is happy to be so near to retiring, they forcast the post office will not live another 10 years. i was going to say if the sample writing was yours that your penmanship is lovely!
07 Feb 2008 at 4:26 am
What a lovely find. Ah, the days of letter writing. I have a story to go with that, from 1896ish times. I’ll have to tell it someday.
07 Feb 2008 at 6:19 am
I enjoyed reading this post. I had no idea that the “font” I learned in elementary school was Specerian. I received a Waterman fountain for Christmas and I slowly wrote, “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog”. May handwriting live on…
07 Feb 2008 at 9:32 am
I have to admit that we have a calligraphy set, but nothing Spencerian - in ours, the ink capsule goes into the pen. Except for my Chinese brush and inks, I don’t have anything genuine (and of course my Chinese calligraphy is likely indecipherable - but it’s fun to try!) and I would LOVE to have a real one with bottled inks and all when I someday have space to spread out again. I try and write letters and cards but sometimes — time being what it is — I type, which really loses the soul of the whole thing.
The desk is gorgeous; make sure you post pictures of the restoration!
07 Feb 2008 at 12:18 pm
It’s funny. This came up with my son the other day because he said he finds cursive writing hard to read. When I was in school it was all we were permitted to use. Apparently, though, when they do write in school these days, everyone prints or uses some sort of cursive/print hybrid — even teachers. But mostly, he said, they do everything on computer.
07 Feb 2008 at 1:18 pm
I was just thinking how much I miss sending - and receiving - handwritten letters. . . . And there is one friend with whom my email correspondence has a written correspondence frequency - and tone - and I had just decided to try and make the switch when I read this posting by you. Synchronicity!
But people tell me my handwriting is hard to read. . . . bother!
Thanks for the thoughtful post - it’s inspiring.
07 Feb 2008 at 2:28 pm
Sending letters is one of my favorite things in life. Thanks to your inspiration, I’m in the midst of reorganizing my weeknights to dedicate time to each of my “things.” One night will be dedicated to correspondence. People so love to receive an actual letter: it’s warmer than email, I think, and worth the price of postage.
07 Feb 2008 at 6:10 pm
what a beautiful find! and to hear the sound of a nib scratching against the paper as it writes! wonderful!
08 Feb 2008 at 5:28 am
what a treasure!
11 Feb 2008 at 1:24 am
I wandered over here after finding your link on knitty.com this morning and was so surprised to find my granny’s sewing box here! VBG
please go and read my blog entry that I’ve just made about it
http://dragonfragments.blogspot.com/2008/02/serendipity.html
How big is your box, are you calling it a writing desk or have I read that wrong, I don’t think mine would be big enough to write on although you could certainly store writing things in it - what an amazing coincidence, I’m still gasping - even the buttons are the same
I’ll be back to check out the rest of your blog when I’ve recovered LOL
12 Feb 2008 at 11:56 pm
…and I should have asked first, but I’ve borrowed your photo so I could show both boxes together, if you object I’ll remove it….
13 Feb 2008 at 12:37 am
What a great find. I have several fountain pens, calligraphy nibs and accompanying ephemera. It was a while back that I when took more pride in the written hand that these items saw weekly use. I’m inspired to dig them out, give them a good cleaning and practice my letters.
13 Feb 2008 at 12:46 am
Snap! (Well almost : http://cornflower.typepad.com/domestic_arts_blog/2006/10/a_box_of_deligh.html )
16 Feb 2008 at 5:14 pm