Weinberg Memorial Library Event Hosts 'Engrossing' Event

The University of Scranton’s Weinberg Memorial Library houses one of the finest historical collections of penmanship in the United States. Earlier this year, its seldom-found subject matter and artistry garnered the attention of top penmen and calligraphic artists in the country, in addition to a niche magazine with a global following.

For six days this summer, the International Association of Master Penman, Engrossers and Teachers of Handwriting (IAMPETH) convened in Scranton, Pennsylvania for their 74th annual conference. The draw: a chance to pore over the University’s McHugh Family Special Collections. One month later, the Collections featured prominently in the August issue of Pen World, a premier publication of handwriting culture and fine writing instruments.

Professor Michael Knies, Special Collections Librarian, shown below, at left, and Tom Costello, Class of 1973, great-grandson of Master Penman P.W. Costello, and longtime McHugh Family Special Collections contributor, were honored by IAMPETH at the opening ceremony of their annual conference.

Prof. Knies, who was hired as Special Collections Librarian for the University in 1996, offers background:

"The Zaner-Bloser Collection arrived in 2010. The collection was donated to The University essentially because of an exhibit by alum Tom Costello of the work of his great grandfather, Scranton penman P. W. Costello (1866-1935), who had written a long-running column for Zaner-Bloser’s penmanship trade periodical. Because the collection contained a large number of publications, we decided it was more appropriate for Special Collections than the art gallery."

Shown above, a certificate for which P.W. Costello did the engrossing to commemorate his marriage 18 years earlier. 

Since the arrival of the Collection, Prof. Knies has dedicated significant efforts to the history and preservation of penmanship.

"As mentioned above, the collection was donated to us, so I undertook a fair amount of research to understand the collection and its place in American history and culture. I’ve spoken at professional conferences and published a peer-reviewed article based on my research," said Prof. Knies.

"Since the library has a number of medieval manuscripts, I had some knowledge of paleography, the study of medieval handwriting, which was helpful understanding some of the calligraphic works done by the late 19th century penman who used medieval styles for inspiration for some of their work," he added.


Shown, above, a P.W. Costello 1909 commemorative "engrossing", decorative handwriting that emphasizes certain words and letters. This engrossing, in honor of Charles P. O'Malley, a president of the Scranton Aerie of the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, illustrates one of Costello's special skills: Shading around the letters that renders them nearly three-dimensional.

Presenting the extraordinary Zaner-Bloser Collection to the University community and the public provides a sense of professional fulfillment to Prof. Knies.

"This is the 6th exhibit to feature material from the Zaner-Bloser Collection since 2011. Also, because the Zaner-Bloser Collection is here, we have received donations of other collections like the recently acquired David Kaminski Collection. We have also acquired some American penmanship through purchase.

Overall, we are one of the premier repositories for the study of 19th and 20th century American penmanship and calligraphy in the country. Having access to these collections is what brought the IAMPETH conference to Scranton," he said.

A MUST-SEE EXHIBIT THIS FALL...

Between now and December 15, visitors are invited to The Weinberg Memorial Library Heritage Room autumn exhibit, Learning to Write: American Penmanship Manuals from the David Kaminski and Zaner-Bloser Collections 1791-1980. 
 
"The exhibit was conceived as a background for summer conference attendees to look at while working with original penmanship samples during their workshops in July. Since they were working with original penwork, I decided to create an exhibit of printed material. Between the two collections, we have a very large number of penmanship manuals, mostly the publications students would use to practice handwriting," said Prof. Knies.

"This exhibit presents a small sample from our collections with an emphasis on early manuals and 19th century manuals with decorative covers. While not the most visually engaging, we have the very first penmanship manual published in the United States, John Jenkins The Art of Writing printed in 1791, as well as the 1813 second edition. Along with manuals, there are letters written by P. R Spencer and A. H. Dunton, the two most important mid-19th century penmen who published competing instruction manuals.

Visitors can judge for themselves who had the better handwriting. There are also examples of work by two of the greatest late 19th century penmen, Daniel Ames and Charles Zaner, founder of the Zaner-Bloser Penmanship Company," he added.

The exhibit will run through Friday, December 15. For more information contact Prof. Michael Knies at Michael.Knies@scranton.edu or 570-941-6341.