Text-Converted Documents
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Scanned from personal letters, rare books and vintage penmanship magazines, within these
documents you will find a wealth of information on calligraphy, engrossing, the history
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Penholders - The History and Development
of the Zaner Method Penholders Here is the story of the Zaner-Bloser penholders,
as published in The Business Educator (vol. 34, no. 10), June, 1929
Penman's Hall of Fame It
has been nearly 150 years since Platt Rogers Spencer published his first book on penmanship.
In the ensuing years, penmen have come and gone without fanfare, leaving for us the legacy
of their art. It is time we knew who they were.
Penman's Newsletter Number 1, 1949
The sad news has reached Most of you, lovers of penmanship, that the beloved penmanship publication,
The Educator, (formerly The Business Educator) published by Zaner & Bloser Co, Columbus, Ohio
for the past 55 years, will discontinue its publication with the December 1949 issue.
Penmanship The following was taken from "The
Zanerian Theory of Penmanship", by the Zanerian Authors of the Zanerian Art College 1892.
Penmanship Experts Compare
Notes In 1850, the Spencerian method of penmanship was developed in the United States
and was taught in public school,, and colleges around the nation until the 1940s when it was
dropped and replaced by more academic subjects.
Penmanship Made Easy, George Bickham
Writing will never look Ornamental without a due portion of Characters throughout the Whole,
a just Distance between the letters themselves as well as the Words, a Natural inclination
of one Letter to another, & a Smooth Stroke performed with boldness & freedom.
Penmanship
Problem in Public and Private Schools, C.A. Chessman Taken from The American Penman,
September, 1907
Penmen from Pocatello, Idaho, E.E.
Gwin The man responsible for the success of good penmanship and good penmen from
Pocatello was that nationally known penman and teacher, and fine gentleman, T. Courtney
Peterson, Percy O. (1877-1941) Dr. Peterson
attended the Zanerian College in 1902. In 1911 and again in 1926 he sent his sister, Elizabeth,
to the Zanerian.
Poole, E.A. (1857-1946) The day of the itinerate
teacher is no doubt gone but those old teachers filled a definite niche in our educational
system and the work which they did left a wholesome influence.
Presidents of IAMPETH A list
of Past Presidents from 1950
Pritchard, Albert S. (1846-1910) Albert S. Pritchard
died on January 13, 1910 at the age of 64. He was a penman of the old school, having been
a student in penmanship under the late George J. Becker at Girard College, where he graduated.
Rice, J.D. Mr. Rice went to the school in
1901 as a teacher when the school had an enrollment of four hundred students.
Richardson, Eileen (Broad) (19??-1995)
Eileen Richardson has done much to keep the traditions of penmanship alive and has brought
many lovers of the art together. The members of IAMPETH have forged lasting friendships we
will treasure forever, and owe a great debt of gratitude to our founders for bringing us together.
Richardson, E.F. (1856-19??) Mr. Richardson
has studied penmanship of E. K. Isaacs, H. W. Kibbe and G. W. Michael, three penmen who were
very active in penmanship work and nationally known over a quarter of a century ago.
Richardson, F.D. on E.C. Mills
Then 25 years later, E. C. Mills of Rochester, developed practical penmanship from the calligraphy
of Platt R. Spencer known as "SPENCERIAN" and that was about the turn of the century.
Ricketts, C.L. (1860-1941) For many years
Mr. Ricketts has conducted an engrossing studio in Chicago. Mr. Ricketts made quite an extensive
study of Medieval Manuscripts and illuminated work. He made frequent trips to Europe where
he collected a vast amount of very precious manuscripts.
Rickets, C.L., Engrosser, Chicago, Illinois
There are 12,000 (yes, the zeroes are correct) of his items at the Lilly Library, Indiana
University.
Risinger, T.J. (1843-1919) When a young man, Mr.
Risinger entered the Spencerian Art School at Geneva, Ohio, and while there was under the
personal instruction of Platt R. Spencer, father of the Spencer Brothers, who were the authors
of the Spencerian System of Penmanship.
Robinson, Oscar Urban (1880-1949) The
remarkable thing about Mr. Robinson was the fact that he was confined to a wheel chair for
43 years of his life.
Roundhand or Engrosser's Script
Roundhand is one of the main styles used by engrossers today. It can be appropriately used
for any occasion; it fits in with other styles very well.
Ryan, J.C., The Handless Penman He travels
farm city to city and has in his time met and called on all the best penmen of the profession.
He knows all their secrets of working and is a master at handling ink and putting it into
condition.
Schofield, Fielding (1845-19??)
Without doubt it was while Mr. Schofield was at Quincy, that he reached the apex of his artistic
powers. Surely all penmen of the period are agreed that from 1883 to 1890 no one surpassed
him in skill or in ability to produce original designs.
Schofield, Fielding, An open letter to
The Business Educator March 1924 This veteran penman and teacher celebrated his
79th birthday on January 17, 1924, the, day having been made one of overflowing happiness
to him by the remembrances of his friends
Shaded Script, taken from "Studies in Pen Art" by
W.E. Dennis A very practical style of penmanship is Shaded Script. Much of the art
Engrosser's work includes this bold effective kind of writing. Policies, diplomas, wills,
deeds, etc., are often written in this style.
Signature Writing Signature Writing,
or "Superscription" as it was frequently called, represented the epitome of a person's skill
in Ornamental Penmanship.
Skeels, Arthur G. Mr. Arthur G. Skeels,
whose portrait appears herewith, was born in 1881 near Mineral City, 0hio. As usual, he is
a farm product, receiving his education on the farm and in the country schools.
Spencer, Bushrod H. (1863-1948) Another
of the old Penmen has left us, This time it was Professor Bushrod H. Spencer the well known
educator and expert penman of Paterson, N. J.
Spencer, Harvey A., Penholder Patent
Letters Patent No 89,354, dated April 27,1869
Spencer, Harvey A., Penholder Patent
1882 The object of the invention is to facilitate the teaching of penmanship by
placing the pen in the oblique position first, indicating thereby the proper position of the
letters
Spencer Publications A listing of
publications on penmanship by P.R. Spencer as well as his Sons
Spencerian Key to Practical Penmanship,
Chapter 1 Theory of Penmanship
Spencerian Key to Practical Penmanship,
Chapter 4 Movements
Spencerian Key to Practical Penmanship,
Chapter 9 Shading
Stewart, Thomas J. (1845-1936) Mr. Stewart was
a master penman having studied under Mr. Flickinger, of Philadelphia, and his school was ranked
among the best.
Stoddard,
Dwight L. "The Passing of Great Penmen" Possibly the passing of great penmen is
not different from the passing of any other great men
Studio Engrossing While individual
penmen promoted their skills through magazine and mail advertising, in public demonstration,
and by means of written correspondence, engrossing artists tended to ply their trade from
the more formalized aspect of a business, that is, a studio.
Temperature and Color
in Nib Manufacturing, taken from "The Steel Pen Trade" by A.A.S. Charles
The Secret of
the Skill of Madarasz I In order to get accurate, uniform letters Madarasz used
his little finger for the support of his hand.
The Secret of
the Skill of Madarasz II The skill involved 3 things, two of which everyone in professional
penmanship knew they did, and the third Madarasz did for sure, but others may not have known
they were doing.
The Steel Pen Trade 1930-1980
Text Only
The Steel Pen Trade 1930-1980
With photos
Tomkins, Thomas (1743-1816) Taken from English
Writing Masters by Ambrose Heal
Tower, Francis Leon by Charlton V. Howe In
1894 he studied and practiced penmanship and drawing under the personal direction of that
able penman and teacher, S. E. Bartow of New York.
Tower's Penholder Collection
Collecting penholders which have been used by penmen is a hobby with Mr. Tower, who believes
in having a holder for each kind of work and pen.
Tributes to the
Late W.E. Dennis Taken from The Educator September 1924
Vaughan, Frank E. on the passing of
S.S. Packard Taken from The Penman's Art Journal, November 1898