Emanuel Fiddler Copybook

This month’s Artifact of the Month is a penmanship copybook from the 19th century (#1993.006.50). The covers are a single sheet of paste paper with a pattern of men in boats in the background, while in the bottom third of the sheet there are soldiers with rifles and a cannon. This whole scene, however, is dominated by the hooves and body of a saddled horse in profile along with the leg of its rider. The owner of the copybook, Emanuel Fiddler, wrote his name on both covers. The pages inside are filled with Fiddler’s handwritten practice of the alphabet and various phrases including “All idle boys obstruct their parents’ joys.”  

These phrases were used in the 18th and 19th centuries to help pupils practice penmanship while reinforcing the values of the time. Fiddler’s handwriting resembles the Spencerian script and uses the “long s” in words with double “s,” which in conjunction with the cannon on the cover suggests that the artifact dates to the mid-1800s. The Spencerian script, which is based on the Copperplate script, was developed to be a simpler version of the previous popular script while still appearing elegant and legible. Having fine penmanship was a priority in schooling and business at that time because it was perceived as a hallmark of class and intelligence. Because of this importance, copybooks were used to practice the script at length instead of slates exclusively. By using copybooks, students like Emanuel Fiddler were able to look over their past work and discern improvement in their handwriting.