American Calligraphy Exhibition, April 1911

Probably the largest-ever exhibition of American calligraphy and penmanship was held in April of 1911, at the Eastern Commercial Teachers’ Association annual meeting, Bridgeport, Connecticut. Here are some details from The American Penman (A. N. Palmer’s monthly magazine), May 1911, pages 74-75.

The feature of the convention that attracted the most attention and received the most admiration was the display of rare and skillful specimens of penmanship. Excepting possibly the exhibit at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, this was the biggest thing of the kind ever seen. It was the result of the efforts of a special committee composed of W. H. Patrick, chairman; George K. Post; H. G. Healey; C. P. Zaner; and W. C. Henning; assisted by the association president, E. M. Huntsinger, who gave as largely of his time as the duties of his position would permit. The credit, however, is largely due to Mr. Patrick, he having spent a great deal of time and a considerable amount of money in collecting specimens and arranging the exhibits. Especial credit is also due Mr. Post for putting the exhibit room in such admirable shape for displaying the specimens.

There were specimens on exhibition representing about two thousand penmen back to the days of Father P. R. Spencer. The choicest specimens were on the wall behind glass in frames that had been made especially for that purpose. In these frames were works by P. R. Spencer, G. A. Gaskell, L. Madarasz, H. W. Flickinger, S. S. Packard, A. P. Root, H. C. Spencer, D. L. Musselman, F. W. H. Wiesehahn, D. R. Lillibridge, George Soule, R. S. Collins, J. W. Swank, W. E. Dennis, Francis B. Courtney, H. W. Shaylor, A. D. Taylor, Uriah McKee, D. T. Ames, John D. Williams, G. F. Davis, L. P. Spencer, D. H. Farley, E. K. Isaacs, W. G. Christie, A. W. Smith, C. C. Canan, H. G. Eastman, A. B. Capp, H. W. Kibbe, A. A. Clark, J. C. Emerick, W. P. Hammond, W. L. White, C. H. Pierce, E. Burnett, Thomas J. Stewart, H. W. Ellsworth, C. P. Zaner, S. E. Bartow, H. B. Lehman, S. E. Leslie, G. A. Rockwood, A. W. Dakin, E. C. Mills, M. D. Hayes, James W. Lusk, A. J. Newby, S. D. Hayden, A. Frederick, E. G. Folsom, E. M. Barler, H. B. Parsons, A. W. Cooper, H. A. Spencer, R. C. Spencer, and others.

In scrapbooks owned by H. G. Healey, W. H. Patrick, H. W. Patten, H. W. Flickinger, R. S. Collins and others were specimens by practically every penman back to Father Spencer. Mr. Healey had on display two scrapbooks of immense size and ten or twelve smaller ones. Mr. Patten’s scrapbook was pronounced by many to be the best, as it contained only specimens of the very highest order of skill. Especial thanks are due Colonel George Soule of New Orleans for the large number of rare specimens of the old masters which he entrusted to the committee for display, and T. J. Risinger for his large collection of letters.

The exhibit room was thronged continually with interested spectators, and many a penmanship enthusiast feasted on the great display of skill. This exhibition will long be remembered, and it has undoubtedly given a fresh impetus to penmanship genius and will be the means of raising the standard of skill to an appreciable extent. It is doubtful that there will ever be another display of equal magnitude. The amount of work necessary for making such collections, putting them on display, and returning them to their owners, can only be appreciated by those who have had the task to perform. The thanks of the Eastern Commercial Teachers’ Association in particular, and the penmanship profession in general, are due Mr. W. H. Patrick for the successful consummation of the plans for the exhibit, which, though originally intended to be a display of written letters only, grew to such gigantic size.

— The American Penman, May 1911.

This is a photograph of a chalk-on-blackboard calligraphy design, made by A. H. Hinman, especially for this exhibition. The work covered a large blackboard, approximately 4 ft. high by 10 ft. wide, and greeted the attendees.