In the category of “Things Our Ancestors Did to Humble Us,” this mini-documentary [UPDATE: a little over six minutes long] from the J. Paul Getty Museum:
(If you go to the page at the ArtBabble site where I found this, you might also like some of the “related videos” in the right sidebar there.)
Jayne says
Speaking of categories–someday, soon I hope, I’m going to dedicate a decent chunk of time to poke around at what looks like crazy good categories on your sidebar.
This manuscript video is fascinating. All of it, the scribe’s work, the bookmaking, the whole process, is becoming a lost art. Humbling, indeed. And Imagine the time spent on these old manuscripts!
In the schools, cursive writing is going they way of the dinosaur. Many teachers don’t bother to teach it anymore. The preference is to have student submit all work typed via word doc. It seems that the majority of the teachers embrace this idea.
I supposed technology is the new art. But it’s a shame to see real craftsmanship lost to technology.
marta says
Okay, I want to watch this video, but I have got to go to bed. Could you give me an idea how long it is so I can plan accordingly? The little play bar at the bottom is giving me no clue.
John says
marta: It’s a little over six minutes long. (Thanks for catching that — I’ll add the info to the post itself.)
I thought you might like it, especially, since you’re sorta in the book-making biz yourself. [Aside to gambling regulators: Not so fast. She LITERALLY makes books!]
John says
Jayne: Good luck exploring those categories. I’m constantly wishing I had different ones (or differently nested ones, or completely new ones), so I hope the digging doesn’t disappoint!
When I started high school, a friend I met there block-lettered everything: no cursive at all. His papers always looked so, y’know, neat, and I started to do the same thing. I no longer can write cursively without forcing myself to, and when I do it looks exactly like the handwriting I had at age 13. (The only exception is my signature, which doesn’t look like much of anything — including a signature :).) It was a fairly easy transition for me from “writing” thus to keying-in… and by now, my hand-lettering has also deteriorated unless I’m concentrating on making it neat.
Good topic. If you’re still reading this, how has your handwriting held up now that you’ve (presumably) been typing more often?
marta says
@John – Very cool. Can’t say I’ll be making an illuminated manuscript of my own, but an ordinary book will do.
(Thanks for the time.)