2nd Annual Academy of Mid-19th Century Life - Meet the Presenter: Sheri Giffin

Meet the Presenter: Sheri Giffin - Scribbling Spencerian

I have been reenacting for over 15 years, serving many of the years with the 24th Michigan Volunteer Infantry. I have enjoyed traveling to events, collecting friends along the way, and even finding a husband through the obsession, I mean hobby. Now my traveling buddy is my seven year old daughter and we enjoy teaching the public and continuing to learn from period sources and research. With the anniversary years looming, I feel that we, as living historians, have an even more captive audience. I find that The Academy of Mid-19th Century Life is a great way to gain knowledge and challenge my impression.

I have been interested in history most of my life and have been able to get close through living history in the 1860s. I enjoy many topics within the mid 19th century especially the ones that add the little touches to first person impression. Spencerian handwriting is such a topic.

The handwriting style created and taught by Platt Rogers Spencer was popular during the late 19th century and characteristics can still be seen in the handwriting of the older generations. In the class, the rules and guidelines will be outlined in the Academy class as well as some practice of letters and connectors to form words

A bit of background:

The predominant handwriting style seen in the nineteenth century is known today as Spencerian Handwriting, named after the originator of this style, Platt Rogers Spencer. This particular style replaced the style that dated back to the 18th century which we now call Copperplate style. Spencerian style is characterized by sweeping and ornate upper case letters, with lower case letters that look strikingly similar to the modern style. This style of handwriting will dominate American correspondence until the advent of the Palmer method of handwriting in the 1920s.

This is not to say that everyone wrote with a particularly elegant hand. Quite the opposite. Existing samples such as letters and military forms show us that, just like today, there is quite a variety of handwriting within the basic Spencerian style.

Please consider joining us for the 2nd Annual Academy of Mid-19th Century Life and increasing your knowledge of the penmanship of the period, plus more!

Cost for all four presentations: $25.00.

Final registration date: July 1, 2011

Complete details available here.