Skip to main content

Distributed for Intellect Ltd

Handwriting of the Twentieth Century

As letter-writing has fallen by the wayside, the art of lavish yet legible handwriting is no longer being taught to schoolchildren or employed in daily life—much to the dismay of those who receive hastily scrawled love notes or try to decipher a doctor’s prescription. In an age when script manuals for students are disappearing at a rapid rate and writing samples are ephemeral, Rosemary Sassoon’s Handwriting of the Twentieth Century provides the first historical record of teaching the skill of writing in the last 100 years.

In addition to illustrating the techniques used by handwriting instructors and documenting the ever-changing views of script stylists, this volume probes the development and manufacture of writing equipment as well as useful examples for today’s teachers of writing. Handwriting of the Twentieth Century is a delightful, comprehensive account of our constant quest for fluent and clear handwritten script.
 
“...excellent and comprehensive illustrated book—which takes us through not only what happened in the United Kingdom, but brings in information about other English speaking countries such as America and Australia as well as European scripts, providing samples and explanations that are valuable as a reference. . . . The book’s well-written Epilogue merits a section being printed—It couldn’t be put better by a graphologist!”—Elaine Quigley, Graphologist
 
 

208 pages | 112 line drawings and halftones | 6 3/4 x 9 | © 2007

Art: Art--General Studies

Education: Education--General Studies, History of Education


Intellect Ltd image

View all books from Intellect Ltd

Reviews

“...excellent and comprehensive illustrated book—which takes us through not only what happened in the United Kingdom, but brings in information about other English speaking countries such as America and Australia as well as European scripts, providing samples and explanations that are valuable as a reference. . . . The book’s well-written Epilogue merits a section being printed—It couldn’t be put better by a graphologist!”

Elaine Quigley | Graphologist

"This book is a historical record of techniques, styles and methods. But it also a passionate study of everyday typography, informed by a deep knowledge of her subject. It will be of interest to educationalists, people in teacher training, plus cultural sociologists and historians - as well as typographists and graphologists." – Roy Johnston, Mantex.

Roy Johnston | Mantex

"One conclusion to be taken from the collection of essays gathered in Issues in Curating Contemporary Art and Performance is that, by subverting conventions of thinking about curating, and through introducing different rhythms of art practices, one continually questions both the nature of contemporary art and performance and the curating of their artifacts." – John F. Barber, Leonardo Reviews.

John F. Barber | Leonardo Reviews

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction
 
Chapter 1  The Influences on contemporary handwriting: A historical perspective
 
Chapter 2  The turn of the century
 
Chapter 3  Learning from copy books
 
Chapter 4  Simplifying letterforms
 
Chapter 5  Initiatives and models from 1930
 
Chapter 6  Educational attitudes mid-century
 
Chapter 7  Stylistic issues after 1950
 
Chapter 8  Initiatives in the 1960s
 
Chapter 9  From 1970 to the National Curriculum
 
Chapter 10  The end of the century
 
Chapter 11  Handwriting around Europe
 
Chapter 12  America and Australia
 
Epilogue
References
Index

Be the first to know

Get the latest updates on new releases, special offers, and media highlights when you subscribe to our email lists!

Sign up here for updates about the Press