See

• What did you notice first?

• Emily's letters are in darker ink. How accurate are her letters?

• Has Emily's accuracy improved through the pages?

Think

• Why did students learn fancy lettering? When would they use it?

• What is the meaning of 'Writing is almost as important as speaking.' 

• What were the main forms of communication in the late 1890s?

• How is fancy lettering produced today?

Writing tools

From 2nd Class students wrote with pen and ink into their copy books and exercise books. They:

• dipped the pen into the inkwell

• wrote until the ink ran out

• gently pressed the blotting paper onto their wet writing

• cleaned their pen with the pen wiper when they were finished.

Vere Foster Copy Book No. 9, 1896

Copy Book No. 9 contained sentences for students to copy. It was the last in the series of the ten books that practised handwriting. There was an emphasis on consistent size, shape and spacing. 

This page was completed by Claude Schumacher using pen and ink. He attended Tent Hill Public School in Glenn Innes, NSW. He completed this book in 5th Class in 1896 when he was 14 years of age.  

• How is Copy Book No. 9 similar and different to Copy Book No. 10?

• What is the meaning of the sentence 'Kindness calms anger, and soothes misfortune.'?

Emma McKinnon's map, 1890

This hand-drawn map was completed by Emma McKinnon using pen, ink and watercolour. We assume Emma completed this book in 5th Class in 1890 when she was around 14 years of age.

Note the use of fancy lettering on the map for labelling the countries, continents and oceans.

Emma McKinnon attended Tent Hill Public School in Glenn Innes, NSW – the same school as Claude Schumacher, above. They probably had the same teacher.

• Can you make any inferences about the expectations of the Tent Hill Public School teacher?