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Arthur Loring completed penmanship exercises in 1891 and 1892 within H. W. Shaylor's Harper's New Graded Copy Books of Practical Penmanship, published by the American Book Company. Each page includes a printed example of two finely written place names and one proverb or phrase, advancing through the volume in alphabetical order.

Arthur Loring completed penmanship exercises in 1891 and 1892 within H. W. Shaylor's Harper's New Graded Copy Books of Practical Penmanship, published by the American Book Company. Each page includes a printed example of two finely written place names and one proverb or phrase, advancing through the volume in alphabetical order.

The inside front cover features illustrations of a male student writing at a desk and a close up of his hands holding the pen, along with a written description of the proper position for writing. The back inside cover includes examples of movement exercises, and an advertisement for Harper's Copy-Books appears on the back cover.

The collection consists of two volumes relating to the Dunwoody family of Marple Township, Pennsylvania, produced between 1807 and 1829. The first volume is a memoranda and expense book kept primarily by James Dunwoody, between 1807 and 1815. It documents financial transactions for meat and livestock, crops, and farm labor. Records also indicate when female laborers began their employment with the family, likely for domestic service, listing the wages and expenses for three of them. The second volume is a copybook kept by Jane B. Dunwoody in 1829 while attending the Marple Union Seminary, focusing on practicing forms for banking, business, legal, and real estate transactions.

The collection consists of two volumes relating to the Dunwoody family of Marple Township, Pennsylvania, produced between 1807 and 1829. The first volume is a memoranda and expense book kept primarily by James Dunwoody, but with references to his sons John, William, and Joseph, between 1807 and 1815. It documents financial transactions for meat and livestock, crops, and farm labor, with several entries with women or notes about cash being provided to wives. Records also indicate when female laborers began their employment with the family, likely for domestic service, including one under-age girl who took up work with her parents' consent and one African American woman ("Black Hariott"). It lists the wages and expenses of Hannah Griffith, Anna Griffith, and Hanah Sithers, documenting the items they were acquiring while in the employ of the family. A recipe for making pills is present, as well as a page of household expenses. The volume has paper covers with woodcut illustrations of four scenes: "Two Sturdy Bull Dogs," "The Fox and the Goat," "An Ass and His Master," and "A Dog and his Shadow."

The second volume is a copybook kept by Jane B. Dunwoody in 1829 while attending the Marple Union Seminary, focusing on banking, business, legal, and real estate transactions. She studied document forms, such as indentures for apprentices, promissory and judgement notes, property leasing, proxy votes, bonds, bills of sale, mortgages, among others. The volume has illustrated, printed covers. The front cover is labelled "The Pet Lamb" and shows a man holding a lamb in his arms with pasted-on letters "JBD Book," and the back cover is labelled "The Pheasant" and shows a pheasant accompanied by a description of the bird by Goldsmith.

The James M. K. Reed Collection consists of four undated items relating to Reed's services as an instructor of practical penmanship in mid-19th century Pennsylvania. It includes two calligraphic drawings of American eagles, one of which is holding a ribbon and flying above a feather quill. The other two items in the collection are subscription lists for students. They detail the terms for the penmanship classes and list patron names, the number of scholars, and whether fees were paid. One list identifies the locale of the classes as being in the vicinity of Patterson's Mills, likely in Pennsylvania. The other list provides no location, but notes the classes are co-taught by "Reed & Boyd" and includes several calligraphic drawings of birds and a feather quill.

The James M. K. Reed Collection consists of four undated items relating to Reed's services as an instructor of practical penmanship in mid-19th century Pennsylvania. It includes two calligraphic drawings of American eagles, one of which is holding a ribbon and flying above a feather quill. The other two items in the collection are subscription lists for students. They detail the terms for the penmanship classes and list patron names, the number of scholars, and whether fees were paid. One list identifies the locale of the classes as being in the vicinity of Patterson's Mills, likely in Pennsylvania. The other list provides no location, but notes the classes are co-taught by "Reed & Boyd" and includes several calligraphic drawings of birds and a feather quill.

Leo Engleman worked trigonometric and surveying exercises in this cypher book from 1847 to 1848, possibly while a thirteen-year-old boy living in Pennsylvania. Many of the exercises include mathematical drawings and illustrations, and surveying examples often include additional features done in pencil and watercolor.

Leo Engleman worked trigonometric and surveying exercises in this cypher book from 1847 to 1848, possibly while a thirteen-year-old boy living in Pennsylvania. Many of the exercises include mathematical drawings and illustrations, and surveying examples often include additional features done in pencil and watercolor, such as trees, rivers, buildings, and lighthouses. A number of headings also feature watercolor embellishments and abstract or geometric designs, and the final pages of the volume include full-page watercolor designs of geometric shapes and a rose bush.

This cypher book contains mathematics problems and exercises copied and completed by Samuel Burrier. The sections include multiplication, addition, division, weights (apothecary weights, et al.), and liquid measures. Several of the headers incorporate chickens into the calligraphic lettering.

This cypher book contains mathematics problems and exercises copied and completed by Samuel Burrier. The sections include multiplication, addition, division, weights (apothecary weights, et al.), and liquid measures. Several of the headers incorporate chickens into the calligraphic lettering.

The collection consists of six penmanship and cypher books kept by William L. Shimer, Susanna M. Shimer, and Nathan M. Shimer of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the 1840s and 1850s and one alphabet card with lower-case and upper-case letters. The blank books include illustrated covers and several have calligraphic titles for their sections. Four of them are dated and range from 1846 to 1853. The cypher books include exercises for arithmetic, fractions, accounting, and weights and measures, with many examples relating to practical issues like farming, business, and estates. Penmanship exercises include the copying of moral proverbs, common business abbreviations, strings of letters, and phrases. Two of the penmanship books are associated with writing systems: George J. Becker's The American System of Penmanship, and Bayson, Dunton and Scribner's National System of Penmanship.

The collection consists of seven penmanship and cypher books kept by William L. Shimer, Susanna M. Shimer, and Nathan M. Shimer of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, in the 1840s and 1850s and one alphabet card with lower-case and upper-case letters. The blank books include illustrated covers and several have calligraphic titles for their sections. Five of them are dated and range from 1846 to 1853. The cypher books include exercises for arithmetic, fractions, practical geometry, accounting, and weights and measures, with many examples relating to practical issues like farming, business, and estates. Penmanship exercises include the copying of moral proverbs, common business abbreviations, strings of letters, and phrases. Two of the penmanship books are associated with writing systems: George J. Becker's The American System of Penmanship, and Bayson, Dunton and Scribner's National System of Penmanship.

• Uriah Hunt & Son, Booksellers, Philadelphia
• Leary's Cheap Book Store, Philadelphia
• Brower, Hayes & Co., Booksellers and Stationers, Philadelphia
• Henry J. Oerter's Cheap Book & Stationery Store, Bethlehem
• Crosby & Ainsworth, Publishers, Boston

The cover of William L. Shimer's 1848 exercise book includes an inscription "L. Shimer, Co. A 10 reg. Militia Pa." William L. Shimer's 1850-1852 cypher book includes notations that he was attending the Gen. Taylor school and was being instructed by A. Stout, as well as geometrical drawings, calligraphic headings, and a pen-and-ink drawing of an eagle's head holding a banner that reads, "Let teh Stars and Stripes proudly float over you."

The collection consists of six penmanship exercises composed between 1815 and 1817 by Eirene Smith (aged 13), Nancy Smith (aged 14-16), Mary Smith (aged 17), and Loreney Stone (aged 17), likely students in the same class in Wayland, Massachusetts. The exercises consist of copied poems entitled "The Rose," "To Eliza," "On The Seasons," "To The Lilly," "Epitaph," and "Lines Written in a Winter's Walk."

The collection consists of six penmanship exercises composed between 1815 and 1817 by Eirene Smith (aged 13), Nancy Smith (aged 14-16), Mary Smith (aged 17), and Loreney Stone (aged 17), likely students in the same class in Wayland, Massachusetts. The exercises consist of copied poems entitled "The Rose," "To Eliza," "On The Seasons," "To The Lilly," "Epitaph," and "Lines Written in a Winter's Walk."