NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY

National Handwriting Day is January 23. This special recognition of the lost art of penmanship and letter writing has been celebrated annually since it's establishment in 1977. (FYI: According to History.com the January 23 date was chosen, very appropriately, in honor of John Hancock's birthday.)

As Bullis volunteers, we marvel at the handwritten letters, notes, and documents in the collection. The idea that people used to devote an hour or more to write a letter to a friend seems almost foreign to us in these days of instant messaging, texting, and emailing. And yet, we get a sense that the writers of these missives enjoyed these writing sessions as much (or perhaps more than) the recipients enjoyed the final product.

And so we've been thinking - when is the last time we sat down to write a long, newsy letter to a friend or relative? Do we even remember how to do this activity? Well, if we need a few pointers on letter writing, we can always refer to Mary Owens Crowther's How to Write Letters that was highlighted in our post a few weeks ago.  Ms. Crowther's book was written over 90 years ago.  Is it relevant today? It must be--there's a 2015 paperback version of it for sale online.

So here's the deal - there are two weeks left before National Handwriting Day.  In this interim, let's find a quiet time, sit down, relax, pick up a pen, put it to paper, and write a letter.  If this seems a bit awkward at first, know that with practice the skill will come back.  Honest.

And also know that you are invited to stop by the Bullis Room and look at some perfect examples of this lost art.

HOW-TO BOOKS

How-to (aka self-help) books continue to be a perennial Christmas gift choice.  Did you know there are several of books in this category in the Bullis collection? Here's a partial list:

How To Write Letters. 

(Formerly The Book of Letters)

A complete guide to correct business and personal correspondence

Author: Mary Owens Crowder

Publisher: Garden City Publishing Company, Inc., Garden City, NY, 1922

How To Read Character;

A new illustrated hand-book of phrenology and physiognomy, 

for students and examiners: with a descriptive chart.

Author: Samuel R. Wells

Publisher: Fowler & Wells Co., New York, c 1808

Flying Machines:

Construction and operation; a practical book which shows,

in illustrations, working plans and text, 

how to build and navigate the modern airship.

Author: William James Jackman

Publisher: The Charles C. Thompson Co., Chicago, 1910

So ... if you're looking for an almost-last-minute gift for that special someone (who may have an interest in how to write correct business and personal correspondence, how to read character, or how to construct and operate a flying machine), here's what we suggest. Stop by MPL and ask someone to help you access these books. Take your time looking over each one, and if you decide on one or more of them as a gift, you can purchase them online.  

There are also Kindle editions available. Two of the books have customer review ratings of 4-out-of-5 stars, indicating that books can continue to inform and entertain for more than 200 Christmases. Now, that's a gift that lasts.