Encountering beautiful handwriting is like found treasure - always a pleasant surprise! It stops me in my tracks, by breaking through whatever task-oriented mindset that I was absorbed in at that moment. It reminds me that flesh-and-blood human beings still exist underneath this tsunami of technology and “progress.” The business, efficiency model seems to have enveloped much of the world, and certainly that has it’s place, but to see remarkable hand-created script is sublime, fascinating, and indescribably reassuring.
What struck me about this as well was the ease with which he added diacritics for Simonne d’Ardenne. I think many people who use computers don't bother with the diacritics.
Wow, thank you for sharing this, just reading LOTR for the first time as a long time reader of Great Books, and all the history surrounding his writing is almost as interesting as the works themselves.
As someone with truly awful, utterly illegible handwriting, I love looking at examples of beautiful handwriting like this. Beautiful handwriting always makes me wonder about the ordered, artistic mind that is capable of producing something so lovely just naturally.
There is a beautiful book by Tolkien called Letters from Father Christmas. It includes all his handwritten Christmas letters to his boys over the years, including sweet and funny illustrations and magnificent script.
Encountering beautiful handwriting is like found treasure - always a pleasant surprise! It stops me in my tracks, by breaking through whatever task-oriented mindset that I was absorbed in at that moment. It reminds me that flesh-and-blood human beings still exist underneath this tsunami of technology and “progress.” The business, efficiency model seems to have enveloped much of the world, and certainly that has it’s place, but to see remarkable hand-created script is sublime, fascinating, and indescribably reassuring.
What struck me about this as well was the ease with which he added diacritics for Simonne d’Ardenne. I think many people who use computers don't bother with the diacritics.
Holy cow! That is very beautiful.
I know....his are one set of archives that would be fun to rummage for that script.
Wow, thank you for sharing this, just reading LOTR for the first time as a long time reader of Great Books, and all the history surrounding his writing is almost as interesting as the works themselves.
Yes, it was an entire world he created in so many ways.
How beautiful! It makes me want to look even more closely at his beautiful maps. His handwriting is map-like just on its own.
This summer we're visiting my parents in the suburbs of Chicago. I hope we'll get to make a pilgrimage to see both Tolkien and Lewis' writing desks, which are on display in Wheaton, IL. https://brandonvogt.com/tolkiens-desk-lewis-pen/?doing_wp_cron=1679765268.2851450443267822265625
I grew up in York Center (unincorp. Lombard)
As someone with truly awful, utterly illegible handwriting, I love looking at examples of beautiful handwriting like this. Beautiful handwriting always makes me wonder about the ordered, artistic mind that is capable of producing something so lovely just naturally.
There is a beautiful book by Tolkien called Letters from Father Christmas. It includes all his handwritten Christmas letters to his boys over the years, including sweet and funny illustrations and magnificent script.
Ruth, thanks for this. It sounds wonderful.
he writes in ELVISH in that video, so beautiful!
How is the Tolkien Reading Day going to be celebrated? It sounds like a good idea. I hope there is going to be more than one celebration.
As always, I enjoy seeing beautiful handwriting. So few people bother with it these days and yet it's such a pleasure to read.
I believe I may be the only member of my generation who never read Tolkein.
It's never too late.