1891 Signed Spencerian Pen and Ink Drawing of Two Birds wooden deer and casting such great shadows

and casting such great shadows

but it feels special

There would once have been a panel that slid down in a groove in front of the drawers to "close" them in

The drawing over collage was laid down on white paper

1891 Signed Spencerian Pen and Ink Drawing of Two Birds wooden deer and casting such great shadowsIt is hard to imagine a time when people learned how to make calligraphic drawings like this as a matter of course; just amazing. Originally used as an exercise to train students to perfect their handwriting, "Spencerian" steel pen drawings provided an diversion from the more repetitive practice of writing alphabets. Calligraphic drawing also gave the accomplished scribe a means of showing his or her ability and gave penmanship masters a way to