A sample from the recent discovery detailing the ancient artform, cursive writing
The Art of: Cursive Writing – California Woman’s Amazing Discovery!
(Los Angeles, CA, Dec 28, 2016, Story by Cirina Catania) A California woman has discovered an unnoticed ancient art that has been buried for years. Historians believe this artform was taught to young children in elementary school during primitive times before the advent of the Internet, cell phones and Facebook.
It was known as, “cursive writing,” and was used as a communication tool, often shared with others in social circles, or in business, to write what was then called, “letters,” (messages that were sent to others using a now-defunct organization called the United States Post Office). This was not just an American phenomenon, in fact, this art existed in most countries in the world. This form of writing was frequently used by lovers courting each other and wishing to share an emotional bond using personal words that could be held in hand and read in person. Today, we have no need of this as we have battery-operated or electrical devices (computers, cell phones, tablets) that can accomplish this in a much more efficient and legible manner.
A sample of this recently discovered art can be seen below:
To create this “cursive writing,” the artist often used a device called a “fountain pen,” into which they carefully injected a liquid called “ink,” most often black, sometimes blue-black or, apparently for creative reasons, even in bright colors. There were many incarnations of these pens with their unique points, often crafted in 14 or 18 karat gold, from which this ink flowed. These points were called nibs. A variation on the standard nib (which came in sizes to match the individual’s “writing style,”) was the stub or italic nib which appears to have been used in the sample above.
To display their cursive writing, artists utilized a thin flat surface, painstakingly created by grinding, boiling, beating and flattening material made from wood pulp, cotton or linen (or as it is believed, from papyrus in ancient Egyptian times). This surface is called “paper,” and it came in many styles and colors, giving the artist a multitude of choices for their finished work.
How this recent discovery might benefit mankind remains to be seen, but it is bringing some joy into life. Some art students claim it is “fun to read,” and that it is “beautiful,” but whether it enjoys a resurgence remains to be seen. In the meantime, there are craft and arts organizations that have expressed an interest in pursuing this technique. Stand by for more as this story develops.
Editor’s note: Executives at Aardvark today issued a statement about this discovery claiming, “Our new iTelephones have a built-in handwriting font that is an updated version of this outdated technique. There is no need for painstaking work to produce communications when it can easily be produced by your devices. See an Aardvark store near you for more information.”