DISAPPEARING ARTIFACTS: Challenges in Collecting and Preserving 21st Century Personal Correspondence: July 2015

Tuesday, July 7, 2015

PART 1: My First Signature

My First Signature (2015) by Leni D. Anderson

Think back when you were a child, and attempted to write your name in cursive for the first time. You had seen your mom, dad, or important parental figure(s) sign their name(s) so many time. In your young mind, when you wrote your name in cursive for the first time on some piece of scrap or large ruled paper, darn it, you wrote your name in CURSIVE! In your young mind, your signature looked just like the GOBBLEDYGOOK they wrote because that was how cursive writing looked in your young mind.

Leni D. Anderson, M.L.I.S., B.A. ArtH., A.A.
Disappearing Artifacts: Challenges in Collecting and Preserving 21st Century Personal Correspondence
All rights reserved © Copyright 2011-2015

PART 1: Cursive Script Alphabet

Cursive Script Alphabet (2015) by Leni D. Anderson

“Cursive Script Alphabet” is a reproduction of the Cursive Script Alphabet chart with the inclusion of Egyptian hieroglyphs[1] at the top of the chart that spells my name; the bottom center of the chart that shows the ABC’s in hieroglyphs; and, at the upper center of the chart, an image of a winged scarab holding the sun.

This piece reference, not only in my opinion, but by many primary & secondary educators and related professionals thoughts and opinions about cursive writing [possibly] becoming what is being coined as the New Hieroglyphs for future generations. At the time of this writing, the “Common Core State Standards Initiative, a national initiative to create teaching standards for grades k-12 had recommended it was no longer required to teach cursive writing in primary school.”[2]

Leni D. Anderson, M.L.I.S., B.A. ArtH., A.A.

Disappearing Artifacts: Challenges in Collecting and Preserving 21st Century Personal Correspondence

[1] National Geographic.com: I used the National Geographic Hieroglyphs Translator to spell both my name and ABC’s; ngm.nationalgeographic.com/ngm/egypt/translator.html

[2] Leni D. Anderson; PART I: Origin of Disappearing Artifacts: Challenges in Collecting and Preserving 21st Century Personal Correspondence, paragraph 4; http://disappearingartifacts.blogspot.com/2015/06/part-i-origin-of-disappearing-artifacts.html

Sunday, July 5, 2015

PART 1: John Hancock in Cursive

John Hancock in Cursive (2015) by Leni D. Anderson

The name and signature of John Hancock [1] is one of the most famous in U.S. history because they are both synonymous with the creation and enactment of one of the most important documents in the United States of America, the Declaration of Independence.[2]

What makes John Hancock’s signature unique? Is it because he was the first to sign this great document, or because of the size of his signature compared to the other signers. And, what makes the other signers individual signatures unique[3]?

What if Thomas Jefferson[4]had printed The Declaration of Independence instead of writing it in cursive? What if the members of the Continental Congress had printed their names instead of using cursive? Would that make this document less important? Lastly, does cursive writing, visually, make the Declaration of Independence special and unique?

Leni D. Anderson, M.L.I.S., B.A. ArtH., A.A.

Disappearing Artifacts: Challenges in Collecting and Preserving 21st Century Personal Correspondence

[1] John Hancock; Biography.com: John Hancock was an 18th century U.S. merchant who was president of the Continental Congress and the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence; www.biography.com/people/john-hancock-9327271

[2] The Declaration of Independence, www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution.html

[3] Image of The Declaration of Independence signers signatures, www.nowtheendbegins.com/images/US/declaration-of-dependence-signers.jpg

[4] Thomas Jefferson; America’s Story from America’s Library, The Library of Congress;
www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/jefferson/aa_jefferson_declar_1.html