Today almost all calligraphers working in the U.S. are female — but this hasn’t always been the case.
A century ago (and in previous centuries) nearly all calligraphers were male. There were many hundreds of professional calligraphers working in the early 20th century (when they were far more numerous than today, of course). The engrosser or “penman” could count on steady employment and good wages. These scribes made up a large, informal guild in the U.S., and held important positions in education, particularly in the business colleges, and worked in business situations, often doubling as bookkeepers. Many also found ready employment in the rapidly expanding world of modern advertising, as expert letterers and graphic designers.
Women were active as teachers of basic penmanship (the Palmer Method, etc.) in the schools, but the larger field of calligraphy and lettering was considered to be generally unsuitable for women — who were therefore, by the circular reasoning of the day, almost always excluded from advanced training in the lettering arts. The doors of opportunity in this area were closed.
Sadly, there were only a tiny number of female scribes, and almost none are known today by name. Here’s a rare advertisement for one of them, Daisy K. Miller, from Lincoln, Kansas. This appeared in A. N. Palmer’s monthly magazine, The American Penman, August, 1912 (just above an ad by one of America’s most famous calligraphers at that time, Frank W. Martin).
There was at least one major exception to the exclusion of female students from lettering-arts training, and that was the Detroit School of Lettering, where women were actively encouraged to apply. In fact, one of their catalogs (1906) had a definite feminist slant:
Of Special Interest to the Ambitious Woman — Would you become self-supporting? Would you like to enter a field that is uncrowded? If so, you will surely be interested in what follows: Show-card writing is a brand new profession. The work is neat, clean, fascinating and very profitable. It may be done at your own home. No costly tools to purchase, no expensive equipment of any sort. A few brushes — an assortment of watercolors — some cardboard, and your ability, are all that are required. It is a trade that up to this time has not been entered by women. […] Can you think of any good reason why you could not succeed as well as your brother? Surely you have the same intelligence — the same talent — the same common sense. Can you suggest one good reason why the merchant would not be as willing to supply you with work, as he would your brother or husband? We think not. On the contrary, we believe the chances for success in this respect are all in your favor.
