Show Us Your Handwriting - Vintage Penmanship!

[Bourbon Guy]

It looked like this:

http://www.iampeth.com/lessons/practical_penmanship/JJ_Bailey/j.j._bailey_page9.html

 

[Lamplight]

This thread depresses me a little. When I was young, we were taught to write in cursive and I had decent penmanship. In my later elementary school years I was interested in calligraphy, and I was even assigned to write the names on the diplomas for our sixth grade graduation. But somewhere along the way I lost it and stopped writing in cursive. Since then my handwriting has experienced a gradual decline. I can still write fairly well if I put my mind to it, but my everyday handwriting is a disgrace.

 

[Bourbon Guy]

It's because few of us actually write very much anymore. We mostly type into computers. I was not aware of the decline of cursive until I saw this thread. Interesting. I recall I went back to a fountain pen in school in lecture courses, after 20 years of ballpoints, because of the writer's cramp I was getting just from taking notes. With the decreased pressure of a fountain pen, it cured it. Now, after sitting at a keyboard, my handwriting, as bad as it was to begin with, is bareley legible.

 

[Lamplight]

It's because few of us actually write very much anymore. We mostly type into computers. I was not aware of the decline of cursive until I saw this thread. Interesting. I recall I went back to a fountain pen in school in lecture courses, after 20 years of ballpoints, because of the writer's cramp I was getting just from taking notes. With the decreased pressure of a fountain pen, it cured it. Now, after sitting at a keyboard, my handwriting, as bad as it was to begin with, is bareley legible.

I definitely don't handwrite much of anything, and when I do I'm in a hurry. Today I tried writing a limerick on top of a box in cursive, and I did fairly well. I may try some more when I get home.

 

[fortworthgal]

I write almost daily both at work and at home, and I almost always write in cursive. I too am surprised by how few people write in cursive!

I don't write in print very often. Usually when I absolutely have to (such as a "print name under signature" line on a form). I used to do calligraphy, but haven't done it in years and I'm certain I wouldn't be any good at it now.

Oh, I'm also right handed in case anyone was wondering.

 

[Caity Lynn]

I always right in cursive. Except in artwork, I have a for of printing that I only write in for that purpose [huh] and in math, but even then I have to fight my instincts to write my variables in cursive. Did you know elementary schools have stopped teaching the cursive "Q" as looking like a "2" it now looks like a printed "Q"

I'll post my handwriting here at some point.

 

[Ethan Bentley]

I recently rummaging in a desk drawer and found:







Date: 1940.

 

[Sleepy LaGoon]

For the past couple of years I've been attempting to return to cursive through the Spencerian reprint workbooks from Mott Media. I'm still nowhere near my goal of being able to write quickly enough to keep up with taking meeting notes. Even though there are diagrams of the proper way to hold the pen, I must not be doing something correct, since I find I constantly tense up my fingers and cannot keep my wrist elevated. Those workbooks also take a bit more dedication than I have been able to maintain.

I have managed to improve my signature somewhat, though.

 

[Shangas]

A sample of my sorry hand...

If it looks a bit smudged, it's because I was careless with the blotting-paper.

Here is the instrument of torture used to create the above abomination:

 

[docneg]

I gave graphology a go, and this is what I got:

Psychic and physical depression
anguish and weariness
discouragement
lack of enterprise
laziness and cowardice
vanity
egotism
selfishness
sensitive and touchy
nervous, irritable

They left out "beautiful".

 

[R.G. White]

How vintage is your handwriting?

So, we all know back in the day handwriting was more... presentable than it is today. What does yours look like?

My handwriting ^

 

[Cobden]

Mine is very similar to the sort of writing you often see in the mid to late Victorian period.

Which is to say I write like a borderline illiterate (dyspraxia)

 

[Adcurium]

I wish mine was better. As time goes by, I type more and write less...

 

[Miss Moonlight]

^Same here. I used to write stories, always by hand. I don't anymore, nor do I write letters... I make a list and think, "Oh. My writing's gotten terrible."

 

[Tomasso]

I recall a moment in penmanship class (2nd or 3rd grade) when a nun walked by my desk, looked at my writing and pronounced, "We may have a doctor here."

 

[Miss Moonlight]

Aww that's so not cool.

I also think my English has suffered from less writing by hand, and it is the only language I speak!

 

[rue]

My mother has gorgeous handwriting as did her father, but mine is atrocious. I still write letters though

 

[zombi]

I hold my writing utensils incorrectly. I have always done this, and they tried to cure me of it in school to no avail. The following is my writing when I am not trying to be neat:

In charting and such I work a lot harder to write neatly. I used to work a lot on trying to make my penmanship better, but I've gotten lax. I should work harder!

 

[The Good]

Unfortunately, with regard to this, I'm a product of my own generation. I can't actually claim too much of a know-how when it comes to handwriting. It doesn't help that I'm already very busy going on with my college studies, but I intend to tie up this one loose end sometime, and improve. I think such a knowledge comes with the territory of being a classically educated student, and author. As it is, I have a difficult enough time deciphering my grandparent's and relatives' handwriting on birthday and Christmas cards...

 

[Gene]

Not to toot my own horn, but my handwriting is very reminiscent of much of the letters during the war years I've seen. Slightly slanted forward, a little sloppy, big flourished lines. It works well for my reenactment stuff.