Why does no one write like this anymore? First off, where did snail mail go in general, and secondly, what happened to change the style of handwriting so drastically? These are so elegant I’d frame them- and they’re just everyday people! Only professional calligraphers could get close to this today. That makes me so sad. :(
There are two distinguishing features of the writing in these samples.
First, and most importantly, they are examples of Spencerian style. Relative to the typical style before it was introduced, the Spencerian style was quick and legible, while remaining appealing as judged by the prevailing æsthetic.
Second, the writing is with nibbed pens of some sort.
The Spencerian hand was eventually displaced by the Palmer script, which isn’t (to my eye) much different from the cursive scripts taught when I was a child and since. These scripts take less effort to master than the Spencerian, and are less labor-intensive to use. (In particular, almost all of the motion to effect them is in the shoulder and arm, with little movement of the wrist and virtually none of the fingers relative to the hand.) And, when these cursives were rising to prominence, they were bundled with the sort of pragmatic ideology that sadly became so popular in the late 19th and early 20th Centuries.
There are again books in print on mastering the Spencerian hand, from Mott Media (albeït as an expression of an ideological position that I find largely unfortunate).
The best place of which I know for inexpensive fountain pens is JetPens.com, but one should shop-around (especially if one is, like JetPens, located in California). (Some awfully nice dip pens can be found at prosaically named Dip Pens, but fountain pens are considerably more practical.)
Lol- Daniel, you are most thorough with your comments. I know it’s a lost art and isn’t the most practical thing, but I can still dream, can’t I? :) I did pick up a dip pen and a fountain pen to play around with them and imagine myself writing to Mr.Darcy about a fabulous new hat I made. I’m not as skilled as the folks behind these two letters, but it’s still fun to try :)
I feel the same way about the lost art of handwriting. I grew up outside of USA where penmanship is still very important and taught well in school. I am so sad to see the chicken scratch as I call it with most US schoolers including my own. When I insist on writing better, the answer is “teacher doesn’t care, it’s the content that matters”! I so wish we could get kids in US to write better (oh those doctor’s notes to start with!) and spell better too while we are at it :)
The nibs are a point that has been split down the middle. As you press down the nib spreads apart, which makes the ink flow in a broader line. They can be bought at any craft store. Here’s a tip to keep in mind when learning to write Spencerian Script: Press on the nib during the down strokes and let up on the pressure during the up strokes. This is what helps give the script it’s beautiful look. It’s easy to achieve when you keep that in mind.
Also, I used to practice with roller ball ink pens– pressing down and laying them a little on their side will make a broader line as the ink flows out. It is less messy and you don’t have to keep dipping the nib.