Help me decipher this old handwriting.
January 28, 2012 10:53 PM Subscribe
Help me decipher some old handwriting.
This is a dedication written in the front of a book I am using for a digitization project. Please help me figure out what it says. I am not so great with reading old handwriting. I'm only able to get the following:
"Richard Theodore Nelson from [illegible] Jessie S. [illegible] Flinch[?]-- Christmas-1922- "
Link to a hi-res b/w scan.
Thanks for any help!
This is a dedication written in the front of a book I am using for a digitization project. Please help me figure out what it says. I am not so great with reading old handwriting. I'm only able to get the following:
"Richard Theodore Nelson from [illegible] Jessie S. [illegible] Flinch[?]-- Christmas-1922- "
Link to a hi-res b/w scan.
Thanks for any help!
Best answer: Jessie S. Pettit Flint.
posted by notquitemaryann at 11:09 PM on January 28, 2012 [6 favorites]
posted by notquitemaryann at 11:09 PM on January 28, 2012 [6 favorites]
from Aunt Jessie S. (then not sure, maybe Peetih?). And I was thinking Flint too.
posted by estlin at 11:09 PM on January 28, 2012
posted by estlin at 11:09 PM on January 28, 2012
I think the other word is "friend". Looks like a hesitation on the first letter, but otherwise it's looped the same as the f in from.
posted by notquitemaryann at 11:10 PM on January 28, 2012
posted by notquitemaryann at 11:10 PM on January 28, 2012
Jessie S. Pettit Flint lived in Corvallis, Oregon, in 1910. It does appear to say "Aunt."
posted by Knappster at 11:11 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Knappster at 11:11 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
Looks like "Richard AND Theodore" and "Aunt Jessie"....
best I can do, anyway.
posted by Prof Iterole at 11:11 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
best I can do, anyway.
posted by Prof Iterole at 11:11 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
That looks like an & between "Richard" and "Theodore", there may be another ampersand on the third line, and I wonder, given the descenders on capitals, if the first word might be "Aunt".
posted by holgate at 11:13 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by holgate at 11:13 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Fantastic answers! I was tempted to call that word "Aunt" but the first letter is wonky looking. I also suspect this is dedicated to two people, with that little symbol b/t Richard and Theodore.
posted by wowbobwow at 11:16 PM on January 28, 2012
posted by wowbobwow at 11:16 PM on January 28, 2012
Yes, I see Richard and Theodore as well.
I'm not convinced the end letter on the last two words of that third line is a 't' since the t used in this script is much more distinctive. They look like 'h' to me. Especially given the way the 'h' appears in Christmas. The 't' has a very deliberate cross to form the t, one which is absent in most of the ending letters on the third line. They all look like h (or maybe b for that first one).
posted by Modica at 11:17 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'm not convinced the end letter on the last two words of that third line is a 't' since the t used in this script is much more distinctive. They look like 'h' to me. Especially given the way the 'h' appears in Christmas. The 't' has a very deliberate cross to form the t, one which is absent in most of the ending letters on the third line. They all look like h (or maybe b for that first one).
posted by Modica at 11:17 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
Jessie was the daughter of Rufus D. and Elvira (McHuron) Pettit, who also had a daughter named Mary L. (Pettit) Wilson.
posted by Knappster at 11:20 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by Knappster at 11:20 PM on January 28, 2012 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Ok, apparently Pettit was a family name linked to the Nelsons, and I got this book from a Nelson descendant. I'm thinking we've got this one answered. Thanks, strangers on the internets!
posted by wowbobwow at 11:23 PM on January 28, 2012
posted by wowbobwow at 11:23 PM on January 28, 2012
archive.org version of the book, with a picture of the author.
posted by beerbajay at 1:18 AM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by beerbajay at 1:18 AM on January 29, 2012 [1 favorite]
I also get:
Richard and Theodore Nelson
from
Aunt Jessie S. Pettit Flint
Christmas 1922
posted by Miko at 9:20 AM on January 29, 2012
Richard and Theodore Nelson
from
Aunt Jessie S. Pettit Flint
Christmas 1922
posted by Miko at 9:20 AM on January 29, 2012
I'm not convinced the end letter on the last two words of that third line is a 't' since the t used in this script is much more distinctive. They look like 'h' to me. Especially given the way the 'h' appears in Christmas. The 't' has a very deliberate cross to form the t, one which is absent in most of the ending letters on the third line.
It was fairly common practice at one time to leave the final "t" uncrossed and give it a long tail. The ancient cursive chart in one of my classrooms showed that variant, and you see it come up a lot in old American census records.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:18 AM on January 29, 2012 [2 favorites]
It was fairly common practice at one time to leave the final "t" uncrossed and give it a long tail. The ancient cursive chart in one of my classrooms showed that variant, and you see it come up a lot in old American census records.
posted by oneirodynia at 10:18 AM on January 29, 2012 [2 favorites]
Yep, this is solved, but for additional confirmation, I deal with lots of old handwriting on my job and Miko's transcription of the whole thing is how I read it as well.
posted by gudrun at 12:12 PM on January 29, 2012
posted by gudrun at 12:12 PM on January 29, 2012
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Richard & Theodore Nelson
From
Aunt Jessie Petcih? Tlinh? Actually, I bet those final letters are 't's; compare the end of aunt. Last name might be Flint.
Do you know any of these folks to give you a hint?
posted by leahwrenn at 11:08 PM on January 28, 2012