Author Topic: A Handwriting Lesson from 1965  (Read 2279 times)

Offline JohnK

  • Freshman Member
  • *
  • Posts: 26
  • Karma: 2
    • View Profile
A Handwriting Lesson from 1965
« on: June 05, 2018, 09:10:25 PM »
When I was about 12 years old, my parents were so distressed by the state of my penmanship, that they engaged a professional handwriting tutor to instruct me.  I know, it may be hard for those of you who know my penmanship now, to believe that I started from such an unpromising beginning…or then again, maybe that’s actually not so hard to believe.

That was back in 1965, in Norfolk, Virginia.  It is certainly unlikely that now, more than 50 years later, that I should happen to find exemplars and lessons from Mrs. Sutton (such is all I know of her beyond her name) as I engaged in a long overdue cleaning of my attic.  I still remember her placing her own hand around my twelve year old hand, and my amazement at watching the letters that were produced from my pen.

Her method, (at least in so far as it is still preserved), was to write a row of exemplar capitals, and I would repeat rows of the same letter below.  Her style has elements of business penmanship, as found in Palmer and others, although I think it is modified in some aspects in order to comply with school instruction standards in Virginia in 1965.

Should anyone have, or be able to find, any more information about Mrs. Sutton, beyond this very limited sketch, I would be fascinated to learn more about her.  I am attaching two exemplar pages in her hand that I hope you will find of interest.  Note the rewrite of the word “detailed” in the second file.

Offline AAAndrew

  • Super Hero Member
  • ******
  • Posts: 1022
  • Karma: 121
    • View Profile
    • The Steel Pen Blog
Re: A Handwriting Lesson from 1965
« Reply #1 on: June 05, 2018, 11:08:08 PM »
Very cool! It looks so much like my gradmother’s writing. I still have her certificate from Palmer. I suspect Mrs. Sutton may have been near my grandmother's age. (Born 1903)

Very nice!
Check out my steel pen history blog
https://thesteelpen.com/

Offline ChristenAllocco

  • Full Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 108
  • Karma: 11
    • View Profile
    • Allocco Design and Crafts
Re: A Handwriting Lesson from 1965
« Reply #2 on: June 08, 2018, 11:59:45 AM »
Wow! Very cool that you still have that. Talk about a neat way to track progress.

Also, I live in Norfolk now! Small world :).
Christen
Instagram

Offline Erica McPhee

  • Administrator
  • Super Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 7524
  • Karma: 335
  • Be brave. Love life!
    • View Profile
Re: A Handwriting Lesson from 1965
« Reply #3 on: June 09, 2018, 09:06:01 AM »
Beautiful handwriting and what a lovely memory.  :)
Warm Regards,
Erica
Lettering & Design Artist
Flourish Forum Shop
Instagram