Paradigm, Vol. 2 (2), October, 2000

Handwriting of the Twentieth-Century

Rosemary Sassoon (London: Routledge, 1999), 208 pp, £16.99

ISBN 0-415-17881-9, ISBN 0-415-17882-7

Margaret Issitt

Rosemary Sassoon has given us an evocative and beautifully illustrated study of handwriting in a book that must have personal interest for us all, recalling, as it does, our own early handwriting experiences. One of the major benefits of the book is the insights it gives to the way handwriting has been taught. However, its interest is not confined to historians as it provides a valuable resource for contemporary educational research and is interesting to anyone engaged in the subject of literacy acquisition and communication. For example, an interesting aspect of the teaching of handwriting is that of ‘joins’. The value of joined writing is a matter of contemporary debate and Sassoon’s study provides a fine resource with which to set such arguments in historical context. Furthermore, the two final chapters are devoted to a description of handwriting in Europe, America, and Australia, and provide resources for comparative analysis.

 Sassoon opens by establishing the time and skill necessary to produce the fine copperplate writing in vogue at the start of the century, and closes with the role of handwriting in the new age of refined technology. Along the way, she gives a detailed account of the considerable changes in style and use. Her experience and enthusiasm for her subject is reflected in the text and her years of study have enabled her to write with a deep insight into handwriting style. However, Sassoon’s focus is on the task of handwriting rather than the milieu in which these tasks were done. Sassoon repeatedly evokes the reader’s own experience of learning but fails to exploit this treasure house of memories. Who can resist this glimpse of a bygone age?

 ‘Oh, many a shaft, at random sent, Finds mark the archer little meant.’ It may lead the reader to wonder if Sassoon could have developed this dimension to the subject. A friendly approach could still be maintained, and a deeper understanding attained if the subject were extended a little. This is an excellent reference work and a fine collection of illustrated historical material well worth a place on Paradigm readers’ shelves. It could have been improved however, if it tapped the imagination a little further and appealed to reader’s own experiences in the process of learning to write.

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