Spencerian Ladies' Hand- Mid-1800s Handwriting

        Period handwriting is beautiful. A long time has passed since such a beautiful, aesthetic hand has been taught in schools. A common script in the mid-1800s was the Spencerian Ladies' Hand. It is a type of copperplate, similar to the kind that our parents (maybe??) learned in elementary school. There were numerous booklets and pamphlets written at the time to demonstrate how to write it. Many men and women also used Round Hand, which is very similar.
      For those of you interested in learning how to write in a period style, Lessons in Calligraphy and Penmanship is an amazing resource to learn virtually everything you need to know to learn. They have scans of original teaching books, as well as modern guides and videos that teach you all you need to know.

I have been trying to learn myself . I wrote out a guide in Spencerian Ladies' Hand (Left.) The darker parts of the letters are made by increased pressure, not by twisting the pen, like is common with other calligraphy "fonts". The nib you should use for this "font" should be very fine with a lot of bend to it. You can still buy Spencerian Pen Nibs. They can also be found by the boxes on Ebay. I just use what I have at hand.   

I couldn't find many guides that showed the order in which to write each stroke. I wrote out the order that I used to make the strokes. I tried to make the strokes in the most natural way of writing. Hopefully, if you are interested in writing it, it will be comfortable. (We have to thank Andy for the pretty red ink I got to use for the arrows and numbers.)


While I was trying to learn this style of writing, my friend told me about a friend that she has who writes amazing calligraphy. Her friend gave her some tips for me that you can read on my friend's blog, Curious Acorn.

For the lowercase Spencerian letters, please see this continuation post here.

Reticule Pattern from 1831-1865

        This pattern was originally published in 1831, the book itself was reprinted up until 1865. This reticule looks very  period due to its asymmetrical  nature. Today we tend to shy away from anything asymmetrical, especially in purses. This would be a great reenactment piece as it appeals to the mindset of the time period and not our mindset today.

        The transcendentalist mindset of the period  focused  on the individual person and individuality. Individuality  was expressed through a limited  spectrum (dresses, hair, sleeves, jewelry, home furnishings) due to the heightened discrimination at the time. Remember, anyone wealthier than you, didn't need much of a reason to get you put into a mental hospital and it didn't take much for you to become estranged from all of your neighbors and associates (perhaps why they had such a strong etiquette system.) This reticule is an example of conforming while nonconforming.
        This is a simple project that you could practice your hand sewing on or your embroidery skills.   

From the American Girl’s Book (1831) by Miss Eliza Leslie

A THREE-SIDED RETICULE

           "Cut your silk into three pieces of equal size. Each must be about a quarter of a yard in depth, and half a quarter wide. The sided of each must be straight till within a finger’s length of the bottom; they must then be sloped off to a point. Sew those three pieces of silk together, (inserting a covered cord between the seams,) and make them all meet in a point at the bottom. Put a tassel or bow at each corner, and one at the bottom. Hem down the top, and run a ribbon into it."

To make this really easy, I diagrammed out a pattern. You have to cut out three, I recommend lining it with muslin or cotton if you are going to use silk. The top dotted line is where you will fold to make the casing for the drawstring. The bottom dotting line will fold naturally when it is sewn together.

        I drew out what the bottom of the bag should look like after it's sewn, the picture in the book did not show the bottom well.








There are lots of ways to embroider your reticule. I recommend initials, just in case you lose it, it will be a little easier to get it back. I am embroidering this one with beads but normal thread embroidery would look great too. 

Take Nothing for Granted

        I was very disappointed that Andy and I did not get to go to Jim Thorpe, PA this year to admire the "visual cacophony" lingering above our heads. Today was a nice day and in addition to cleaning the yard, my mother and I went for a walk to look at the leaves in the area. The leaves are as beautiful as I have ever remembered them being.

        Sometimes life moves so fast that you notice that the leaves are falling from the trees and think it would be nice to spend some time looking at them, but you never do and soon winter comes, and you forget about it for another year. Sometimes the cycle continues for a few years.
        How could I deny the beauty that exists only a few steps from my back door? I am indeed very fortunate to live in such a beautiful world and have the ability to experience it. Last year Andy and I went with his mother and father to view the leaves, we had to describe the colors to his father, who lost his sight earlier last year after a stroke. What a terrible hardship to endure.

        On another topic, I have always wondered why the leaves change colors and if there was a method to the color choices and times when the leaves change. Turns out that leaves have Chlorophyll andCarotenoids in them all year round.These create the colors that we see. These pigments are normally concealed by the Chlorophyll which makes the leaves appear green. The Carotenoids give the leaves their red, orange, yellow and brown colors.  The Carotenoids are exposed when longer, colder nights halt the breaking down of the Chlorophyll. Fascinating.

Your assignment for today is to go admire the leaves and never take anything for granted.

Keeping History Alive: Historical Music

I am in love with historical music. There is a simplicity and beauty that music today does not have. Listening to period music is like a momentary transformation back in time. Cd's are great but I did not know how enjoyable live music could be until I attended a few reenactments where they had live bands and concerts. Previous to that, I had only been to rock concerts and choral concerts. They do not encompass the beauty of a group of friends playing for their own joy as well as the joy of the people watching.

 One of the best performers of period music I have seen is Kent Courtney. He truly has a presence on stage and a mastery of music that comes through on his Cd's. I admit that I listen to these over and over and over again. The great part about Kent is that he performs a lot and locally. If you ever get to see him perform, he will play a lot of songs suggested by the audience which is fun because you can hear a live version of some of your favorite songs. He was also one of the actors in the History Channel program: Stealing Lincoln's Body. How neat is that?
        I am very thankful that some people still take the time to record this kind of music and perform it. It really is for the love of it because, like many arts, music doesn't pay too well.



Another great musician is David Kincaid. He is one of the best Civil-War-Era-Irish musicians there is (what a niche!) His two Irish Cd's are amazing. These are two more Cd's that I listen to constantly and they never get old. These have really stood the test of time--I've been listening to these constantly since I was High School! The musicians that play with Kincaid are amazing and his voice is just perfect for the time period being portrayed.
      Where have you heard his music before? In the movie God's and Generals. What a talented group!

Pictures are used here without permission. They belong to their respective domains Living History Music and Haunted Field Music. If there is a problem, please contact me and I will remove them promptly.

5 Champion Lady Sprinters

        Does society ever change? When looking at the past we tend to see what we want to see, which is normally "a simpler time" or a more moral one. Many people forget to keep in mind that society is still very much the same as it has been for hundreds of years.
        This advertisement from 1892 was published in the Boston Globe. It advertises " 5 Champion Sprinters" which at first seems innocent enough. I admit that I was naive enough to think to myself "How cute, where did the days go when  men would pay money just to watch athletic women run a race?" A split second went by before I realized exactly the type of men were paying for this kind of "entertainment."
        On a closer examination I realized how blunt the advertisement really was. This race featured "Beautiful Ladies" and "Charming Ladies," who appear to be running in their unmentionables. I didn't realize that the "race" was taking place at the "Wonderland and Pleasant Street Musee and Theater." From the picture you can also see what appears to be two men, throwing money onto the stage.
        I admit that I am almost ashamed for posting this. It goes flat against what I want to believe happened in "the good ol' days." A lot of this history is swept under the rug. The fact that "this sort of woman" in the 1890s is wearing more than the average teenager wears today, is another post entirely.
        We should acknowledge the good and the bad in all time periods. I think it is healthy to admire the more moral aspects of the past. We should seek to replicate these. At the same time we need to recognize that the unmoral always exists, sometimes society is more accepting and blunt about it in some decades and secretive about it in others.