Grad Studies: Decoding 16th-Century Handwriting
Think your handwriting is illegible? Try reading the script of a 16th-century scribe. This summer, PhD student Abigail Hinrichs attended a week-long Folger Shakespeare Library workshop on English Paleography to learn how to decipher such archival materials. Paleography is the study and analysis of historical writing systems, including penmanship and handwriting. “I was quite proud of the command I had over English paleography by the end of the week,” says Hinrichs. “Now I am able to read documents that would have been just about incomprehensible to me before.
“It was also amazing to get to connect with PhD students from all around the globe,” she continues. “I couldn't recommend the Folger's program enough.” Besides traveling to Washington, DC for the Folger workshop, Hinrichs was also selected to participate in a Newberry Library archival workshop in Chicago this summer with Dr. Katharine Gerbner. She graciously answered questions via email.
What was a typical day during the Folger workshop?
Most days we would gather at the front of the Folger building around 9 am. We would then have a set schedule of online and paper paleography projects to be working on until lunch. The first few days of the workshop were more group oriented, as our professor taught us the basics of 15th- and 16th-century italic and secretary hands, but as we gained more skill, we started working in smaller groups and on individual projects. Lunch was reserved for independent research time in the Folger collections—I spent most lunches working with a 1539 gift scroll from Henry VIII's court! After lunch we would continue our paleography projects. Often at night the students would meet up for dinner and drinks. It was a very intensive five days.
How does the work you did relate to your research interests?
It was surreal getting to work with documents from the Henrician or Tudor period in England (mostly within Anne Boleyn's reign), as that is my main area of study. Now I am able to decipher letters and documents from the period. This has unlocked so many aspects of archival research for me—not only do I now not have to rely on online or preexisting transcriptions of documents, but I'm able to connect more deeply with these historical figures as I work to learn their personal handwriting styles and tendencies. It's very exciting!
What else did you do during your time in Washington, DC?
I did some fun sightseeing. I saw the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, and the reflection pools. I spent hours upon hours walking around the various Smithsonian museums. The Portrait Gallery was a personal favorite.
