The existence of this book of penmanship throws interesting light on our other book of penmanship by Frances Henshaw, our 2501.000. This book by Harriet Baker is dated four years earlier, 1819, and from another school in Windsor, Vermont (Henshaw's school was in Middlebury, Vermont). Generally, the two books follow very similar structure, both the text and the maps, which would indicate that the production of these books of penmanship was more frequent than previously thought and also suggests that there was a common template used, even by different schools, in their construction. It can be said that Baker's maps are exquisite, perhaps a bit more so than Henshaw's, but Henshaw's text descriptions of the states are more elaborate than Baker's. For some reason, Baker omits maps of New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, while including descriptions of most of them. Henshaw has no map or description of Michigan or Illinois. For the sources of the maps and text, see our entry for Henshaw's book, 2501.000. The Osher Map Library has a copy of another book of penmanship, also from Mr. Dunham's School in Windsor Vermont, titled “Catharine M. Cook’s Book of Penmanship at Mr. Dunham’s School, Windsor, Vermont, June 15th, 1818”
pub_note
The existence of this book of penmanship throws interesting light on our other book of penmanship by Frances Henshaw, our 2501.000. This book by Harriet Baker is dated four years earlier, 1819, and from another school in Windsor, Vermont (Henshaw's school was in Middlebury, Vermont). Generally, the two books follow very similar structure, both the text and the maps, which would indicate that the production of these books of penmanship was more frequent than previously thought and also suggests that there was a common template used, even by different schools, in their construction. It can be said that Baker's maps are exquisite, perhaps a bit more so than Henshaw's, but Henshaw's text descriptions of the states are more elaborate than Baker's. For some reason, Baker omits maps of New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois and Michigan, while including descriptions of most of them. Henshaw has no map or description of Michigan or Illinois. For the sources of the maps and text, see our entry for Henshaw's book, 2501.000. The Osher Map Library has a copy of another book of penmanship, also from Mr. Dunham's School in Windsor Vermont, titled “Catharine M. Cook’s Book of Penmanship at Mr. Dunham’s School, Windsor, Vermont, June 15th, 1818”
Pub Note
false