Comments on: Does anyone know shorthand?

Question: Does anyone know shorthand?

sweetmarie — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:19:01 -0800

I'm working on a historical postcard exhibition and one of our postcards has some type of shorthand as the message. I was wondering if anyone could translate it? I don't know what type of shorthand it might be written in.

Here's a link to a picture: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3046/3046872988_aaecc48b29_b.jpg

Thanks!

By: ktrey

ktrey — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:30:03 -0800

It looks like it could be Pitman Shorthand.

By: lee

lee — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:38:58 -0800

I think it's Gregg.

By: EmpressCallipygos

EmpressCallipygos — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:09:45 -0800

Could it even be handwritten Hebrew? Hebrew can look very different handwritten.

By: t0astie

t0astie — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 18:08:09 -0800

I think it's Pitman.

The little x's are full stops. The modifiers that look like quotation marks (might stand for hyphens maybe?), dots and carets, the structured forms and the different weights of stroke in the forms also look like Pitman to me.

I can tell you it's definitely not T-line. (Which is what I learned, but there were people who did Pitman in my class and we used to compare.)

Gregg looks more... flowing and the forms are sometimes wavy.

As far as translating it goes... maybe a secretarial college in your area could help if no Mefites can read it. You might have to ring around a bit though - not so many people teach shorthand now.

By: Oriole Adams

Oriole Adams — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 21:35:08 -0800

It's Pitman. Maybe someone on this forum can help you out.

By: unrepentanthippie

unrepentanthippie — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:31:45 -0800

I recognize some Gregg characters, but it may share some in common with Pittman for all I know.

By: unrepentanthippie

unrepentanthippie — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 06:36:11 -0800

Pitman
Coffee, please?

By: sweetmarie

sweetmarie — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:32:56 -0800

Thanks for all of your insight, I'll see if the shorthand forum can help further.

By: neroli

neroli — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:40:38 -0800

While I have no shorthand knowledge, after poking around for a while, I agree with the Pitman consensus and think you should write to the guy who runs this Pitman site. He looks like somebody who would love to help.

Please report back--I'm curious!

By: sweetmarie

sweetmarie — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 14:22:05 -0800

Good suggestion, I haven't had any luck yet but hopefully someone will be able to read it for me.

By: sweetmarie

sweetmarie — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 10:13:06 -0800

Hurrah! I thought I'd update that at last, someone was able to decifer the shorthand a bit. I'll have to update the exhibit with this new info.

By: unrepentanthippie

unrepentanthippie — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:29:36 -0800

I learned Gregg 45 years ago, and some of those characters I do recognize so it's no wonder everyone was confused. It's understood that generally only the writer can really decipher all of it, due to inividual variations, much like handwriting.

Anyhow, thanks so much for the update; now we can all stop wondering about spies.

By: unrepentanthippie

unrepentanthippie — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 14:32:16 -0800

individual
sorry, multi-tasking laundry