The lines, circles, ticks, hooks, dots and dashes of Pitman shorthand used by some postcard writers during the early twentieth century are obscure to most people. Could the mysterious messages contain scandalous gossip, tales of adventure or declarations of undying love?

Fifty Mysterious Postcards presents fascinating examples from the 'Golden Age' of the postcard, each with a message written in the dying art of Pitman shorthand. The rules of Pitman have changed since the postcards were written and posted over 100 years ago, but careful transcription has unlocked their meaning to bring stories of penfriends, sweethearts, holidays and the First World War to life once more.

About the Author
Kathryn Baird learnt to write Pitman Shorthand in the 1970s and taught it in the 1980s after qualifying to teach in Further Education. She has worked as a Medical Secretary, a Lecturer in FE, and a school teacher and examiner. She became fascinated by the mysterious shorthand messages used on so many postcards and has collected and transcribed over 300 postcards with Pitman messages. Her transcription of a 1915 diary was covered by the BBC and several newspapers, including the Daily Telegraph, in 2019. She lives in Peterborough.

Reviews

"The format mostly features spreads with the postcards - beauty scenes, landmarks, cute animals - with the original name and address written longhand and the message in shorthand."

* Best of British magazine *



Book Information
ISBN 9781803990460
Author Kathryn Baird
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd