The Tipped Inkwell

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About the Collection

Welcome to “The Tipped Inkwell” Digital Exhibit!

In this exhibit, we will be exploring 3 objects. The first being a book, called “Real Pen Work, Self-Instructor in Penmanship” by Knowles & Maxim Publishers, which was published in St. Catharine’s in 1881. The book explores the expectation and tradition of penwork, as well as how to write “with an elegant hand”. The last two objects are written letters. The first is written in 1812, and is a letter written by a prison inmate. Meanwhile, the second letter is written in 1835, and is a letter written by a Sherriff. Both letters were written and located in the Niagara Region. These two letters show a distinction between themselves, as their penmanship is relatively similar to the expectations and teachings of the penwork book.

The images with the date “1881” are from the main object itself; that being, the book. The images I have selected are from the book and include pages on how to hold a pen, instructions on how to write letters and trace, as well as illustrations that are used to emphasize the relevance of tracing. This is significant to the Niagara Region because during the long nineteenth century, Canada was generally occupied and controlled by British settlers and colonies. Thus, the implications and expectations of literacy and writing had a visible strain and emphasis of British, colonial culture. Even so, the subject matter of many pieces of writing were expected to serve national objectives (Macdonald, 1991). That being, “If Canada was described as a beautiful and fertile land with a glorious history, where one could achieve success through one’s own endeavors, its residents would share in some of that positive description, outsiders would envy them, and new settlers would be encouraged to join them.” (Macdonald, 1991).

This quote truly emphasizes the influence colonialism at the time had, and how these colonial tendencies inflicted their ideologies on every aspect of everyday life, including writing. Subsequently, representing and writing about Canada as a nation with beautiful land and a ‘glorious history’, led to the fruition of literacy being utilized as a tool to reinforce core values of the community it inhibited, focusing mainly on social constructs (Macdonald, 1991). By using literacy as a form of control, the assimilation of the new class of readers was of urgent social importance, with the intent of influencing this new groups morale and intellectual instruction (Macdonald, 1991) Using literacy and writing as a means to ensure the new generation stays within the ideologies of the “ideal” society, while also having an increasing literate population, ensures that the society will not retaliate or question the conformities of the community. Thus, “a more literate working class might arguably be more accessible to rational argument and therefore less likely to revolt” (Golden, 2009). The simple expectation of writing at an exact fifty-two-degree angle, alongside the thickness of a line, had more political and societal turmoil than one may expect. Writing is a powerful act, and it was understood as such in the nineteenth century. Therefore, the understandings of literacy in England had the same implications and understandings in Canada.

The images of the letters from 1812 and 1835 showcase how, even though these letters were written by two different individuals, the value of literacy still held its ground and expectations were still prevalent. The different time period also showcases how writing was stagnant, and how the book of self-instruction tries to reutilize and idolize this “older” sense of writing and literacy. As well, these letters were written within the Niagara region, further reinstating that people were engaging with this sense of literacy at the time.

The nineteenth century leaves a lasting impact on today’s society, specifically that of colonialism. During my time in VISA 2P90, I have fully understood that colonialism has deep roots within visual culture of all types of representation, including this book on penmanship. One question I had asked myself at the beginning of this exhibition process was this; “Are the individuals reading this book really teaching themselves, or is it the continuation of the colonialism at the time, inflicting their way of thinking and teaching?” It is important to always observe, analyze, then question the content we are reading and seeing in order to ensure complete transparency of the images we see, and the passages we read.

Enjoy “The Tipped Inkwell” Digital Exhibit!

Total Word Count: 723

References

Macdonald, Mary. A Very Laudable Effort: Standards of Literary Excellence in Early Nineteenth Century Canada. Canadian Literature. 1991.

Golden, Catherine J. Posting It: The Victorian Revolution in Letter Writing. University Press of Florida, 2009.

Archived Images and Objects

Real Pen Work, Self-Instructor in Penmanship Z 43 R43 1881. http://hdl.handle.net/10464/14093

Alexander Hamilton/Early Canada Postal Collection 1775-1983, n.d. RG 699. http://hdl.handle.net/10464/14770

Alexander Hamilton/Early Canada Postal Collection 1775-1983, n.d. RG 699. http://hdl.handle.net/10464/15198