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Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2021 3:08 pm
by KathrynShorthand
Hello
I'm new to this forum but have been collecting postcards with messages written in Pitman shorthand for about 35 years. Some of the messages are clearly between penfriends who share the postcard collecting/shorthand writing hobbies. These messages indicate that the people involved don't otherwise know one another. I wonder whether they had responded to advertisements in magazines at that time, ie early 20th century. Does anyone have evidence of advertisements requesting penfriends at that time? Or any other ideas about how a person made the initial contact with other collectors who could write shorthand? Many thanks for your help. Incidentally, I tweet shorthand on postcards (and a few other things) as @Kathryn11Baird

Re: Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Fri Oct 15, 2021 3:33 pm
by kevinramsdale
An interesting topic and collecting theme. As you say, there must have been some way of knowing that the person receiving the card would understand the message. But I don't know how. Now following you on Twitter

Re: Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Sat Oct 23, 2021 3:20 pm
by KathrynShorthand
Many thanks, Kevin.

Re: Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Fri Oct 29, 2021 7:00 am
by eastlondonpostcard
Hello - you might like to view these https://www.ebid.net/uk/for-sale/4-view ... 360651.htm for sale :D

Re: Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Sun Feb 13, 2022 9:37 pm
by Dave43
Can't read shorthand but have small collection of other codes on cards, none of the messages turn out to be earthshaking! Of course there were lots of telegraphists about so messages exchanged in Morse code are not uncommon.

Re: Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Fri Jul 08, 2022 6:30 am
by Pitmanic
I’ve just noticed this conversation, quite some time after the event, but thought I’d add to the pen friend answer. Whilst researching for my book “With Pencils Poised..A History of Shorthand in Australia”, published last year, I came across a number of pen friend adverts and postcard related stories which I used in the book. Australian phonography journals from the 1880s advocated corresponding with overseas photographers, as pen friends. Browns Phonographic Monthly (USA) did the same as well as commencing numerous "evercirculars" on a range of topics. I used a photo from my own collection of an advertising postcard from Melbourne’s Zercho’s Bus College using marketing slogans in shorthand. Several other stories came to light also.

Re: Shorthand on Postcards

Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2022 8:16 pm
by sewos
i dont know anything about it but its really interesting theme. i would like to learn about it more