Are you a typist, a thumb-texter, or a longhand scribbler? Much has been made recently about the relevance of teaching cursive in the digital age—or conversely, the potential benefits of handwriting for cognition and learning. It may seem hard to believe, but once upon a time the pen was the high-tech tool and mastering its use was the key to success in school, work, and business… introducing the Palmer Method!
Developed by Austin Norman Palmer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa during the 1880s, the Palmer Method relies on moving the proximal muscles of the arm rather than the hand to form letters and words. In this way, the writer can work efficiently for long periods without tiring and produce a standardized, easily read script.
Palmer got his start as an engrosser, or someone who copies out important documents in a formal hand. He later taught at the Cedar Rapids Business College before publishing his book, Palmer’s Guide to Business Writing in 1894, along with his magazine The Western Penman. In 1904, representatives from the New York City School District saw Palmer demonstrating his method at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, or St. Louis World’s Fair, and decided to adopt its instruction for their students. It was soon taught in districts across the country and ultimately became the most popular handwriting system in the U.S., spelling success for the A.N. Palmer Company, which sold supplies and instructional materials and maintained offices in New York, Chicago, Portland, Boston, Philadelphia, and Atlanta. Even my own grandmother learned it, as evidenced by her proficiency certificate, earned at age eleven.
Inside the Palmer Method muscular movement instruction book, you’ll find advice on proper posture and pen position (unfortunately, there’s no accommodation for the left-handed, although modern practitioners assert that lefties can also participate!), as well as a series of lessons with regimented drills that the student is asked to perform. These drills start with simple letter forms like O, A, and C, then move on to trickier consonants, words, and sentences. By the end, the writer will be able to produce the perfect business letter!
Lest you think the Palmer Method the product of a bygone age, you can still perfect your pen strokes with helpful videos. There’s even a Reddit thread! Or simply flip through the digitized version of Palmer’s instruction book, courtesy of the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives.
Diane E. Bockrath is the Processing and Collections Archivist at Hagley Museum and Library