Vertical Ornamental Penmanship

[tintenfuchs]

Dear friends,

my latest obsession has been this exemplar:

And I've been trying to find out more about vertical ornamental penmanship, to no avail. Since I would love to learn as much as I can about it, I thought I'd ask here if anyone knows anything about this, historically, or where I can find resources, specimens etc. Apparently there was a series in the Business Educator, but I am unable to find more than one page of it. History nerds, your turn!

Best,
Natascha

[schin]

OMG I saved that pic so hard I think I broke my mouse

[Judy G]

Oooh....thanks, Nats!!

[AnasaziWrites]

Is this image from the Business Educator? Do you know the issue?

[LindaR]

What a treat to read your post, Natascha!  I've become intrigued by vertical writing recently, too, and am also struggling to find information.  I was given an old copybook by H.W. Shaylor: Vertical Round Hand Writing.  I love the stylized writing on the cover (I'll attach a photo), but the contents of the book show a much simpler hand, for young children.

In my hunt for more information, I've come across a number of online resources, most of which are geared toward teaching children.  Here are some books available as downloadable pdf's:

http://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/100312999?type%5B%5D=all&lookfor%5B%5D=Vertical%20writing&ft=
The Volpenna Vertical Writing Lessons: a complete manual for learning and teaching this original system.  R.K. Row, A.F. Newlands

http://library.duke.edu/digitalcollections/eaa_A0566/
American System of Vertical Writing, American Book Company, 1894

https://archive.org/details/cihm_92542
Public school writing course: vertical system, Ontario Department of Education, 1896

https://archive.org/details/cihm_93933
Gage’s Business and Social Forms, Vertical Writing, R.H. Eldon and Alexander Clark Casselman, 1896

https://archive.org/details/teachersmanualt00newlgoog
Teachers' Manual to Accompany the Natural System of Vertical Writing, A. F. Newlands, 1907

https://archive.org/details/publicschoolwrit00newl
Public School Writing Course Vertical System : Junior Fourth No 5 by Newlands, A. F. (Alexander F.); Row, R. K., 1896

https://ia902605.us.archive.org/10/items/theorypracticeof00jackrich/theorypracticeof00jackrich.pdf
The theory and practice of handwriting; a practical manual for the guidance of school boards, teachers, and students of the art, with diagrams and illustrations, Jackson, John, 1894

I've found reference to many other vertical writing copy books, but they may only be available in hard copy.  There's one that might be of particular interest:
Spencerian penmanship : vertical edition, Platt R Spencer, 1896
I'm guessing this volume might have some more ornamental forms of vertical writing.  I haven't yet seen a copy.

Schin kindly passed along information she had gleaned from Joe Vitolo.  Vertical writing was apparently short-lived and did not catch on.  It was, for a few years, highly touted as being a more efficient, more legible, and more easily learned form of writing, but then faded from widespread use.  Slanted writing reigned supreme!

I'm eagerly looking forward to information and resources which others may have.
LindaR

[sybillevz]

I've seen this one a few times... I even read the author's name somewhere !
Aargh, I feel stupid to not have noted anything on my very pixellated copy.... Curious to see if anyone can help.

[carla]

This is stunning!!

[tintenfuchs]

Is this image from the Business Educator? Do you know the issue?

I don't know where this particular image is from but I have another, very similar one, where it says "from Zanerian Script alphabets, 1902".

I have seen two more interesting book covers, but haven't found the books yet, see attached.

[Ken Fraser]

This is from Zanerian Script Alphabets 1902

[AmyNeub]

Oh I love it. I won't have to worry about that slant. Thanks for sharing!

[Blotbot]

That is great!  I think vertical is much more natural for me.

[Brush My Fennec]

These pages and cover are from a book published in 1939 by Prof. Francesco La Manna, who lived in Milan on Via Odoardo Tabbacchi 40. The Anno XVII E.F on the cover is the Facist calender (E.F = Era Fascista) and the 'III DELL IMPERO' refers to the proclamation of the new Italian Empire 3 yrs. before with the conquest of Ethiopia.

Note the mention on the cover of the book being for Schools in 'Italia Facista'. That sort of thing was the result of the attempts by the Fascist government to elide being Italian with being Fascist. There's also the obligatory mention of Il Duce, on the cover, and it has the messianic tone that was sometimes used to refer to him : 'LUCE DEL MONDO' -> LIGHT OF THE WORLD

People who roll their hand on its side when writing will likely will find vertical writing much easier, especially if they slant the paper, because they will be more likely to point the pen in the same direction as the slant line and push it up and down, as opposed to pointing it to the left of the slant and dragging the pen (and the shades).

[LindaR]

A few more tidbits on vertical writing…

A French book available at the IAMPETH site has two pages focuses on vertical writing.  The book, Recueil Méthodique de Principes d' Ecriture "A Methodical Collection of Principles of Writing", P. Meyrat, circa 1920's, can be downloaded directly from here:
https://archive.org/details/RecueilMethodiqueDePrincipesDEcriture
I’ve attached scans of the two pages below.

In addition, an Italian writing manual, Modelii Di Calligrafia, has four pages of vertical writing, which I’ve attached below.  The manual is available from IAMPETH, and can be downloaded directly from here:
https://archive.org/details/modelli_di_caligrahia

It's fascinating to see so many forms of vertical writing.  Keep 'em coming!
LindaR

[Estefa]

Wow, Natascha, what a fantastic exemplar!! Curiously, the lowercase forms look a bit like Kurrent. I know that Kurrent was written quite vertically in earlier centuries … I find the p, m, n etc. look really Gothic! Not the exact forms – they are 'Latin', but the 'spikiness'.

[AndyT]

Yes, it does look rather like Kurrent, now that you mention it.  The lower case also reminded me somewhat of Leary's "Stabby Script", written vertically.  The compound curves of some of the minim strokes also call to mind some more formal varieties of secretary hand and batârde ... which just goes to show that there's nothing new under the sun.