historical workshops
i take pen in hand: AN introduction to the quill
This basic workshop will teach the student the basics about the most prolific writing instrument in western history: the Quill Pen. We will talk about the pen and its history, and the styles and variations it went through during the period from 1650 to 1850. Afterward, we’ll take history in hand and try our hands at cutting a nib and writing with it. We’ll also touch on historical ink, paper, and other topics. Each attendee will go home with a handout full of interesting information, and two quill pens – one of their own making, and one cut by the instructor.
thus friends absent speak: the art of letter writing
Letter writing is all but a lost art in the age of E-communication. In this workshop we will rediscover that art, by looking at the materials and skills necessary to replicate a historical letter. From paper and ink, to writing instruments and the elements of style, to folding and sealing, the student will replicate a simple letter of the period 1690-1850. There’s even information about how to replicate postmarks and make the letter look well-traveled – just the thing for living historians and prop designers. The student will take home two quill pens (cut by the instructor), a packet of valuable information, and a sample letter to serve as a model for future endeavors.
secrets, spies, and lovers: The art of discreet correspondence
Don your Cloak and Dagger for some historical spycraft. From the time humans learned to write, they immediately saw the wisdom of hiding secrets from prying eyes. This workshop concentrates on the historical methods used by diplomats, soldiers, and others to keep their innermost thoughts from being seen from Elizabeth I to the American Civil War. We’ll talk about codes and ciphers, invisible ink, folding and sealing secret messages, and how to get a message from point A to point B undetected. The attendees will go home with two quill pens (cut by the instructor), a packet of information about historical secret writing, and a small vial of invisible ink to experiment with on their own.
About the Workshops...
There is something fascinating and romantic about the way people communicated before the Industrial Age. Over the years I’ve handled countless original letters and documents, and have learned the skills necessary to recreate them using original practice and techniques. My workshops are aimed at all ages from 11 and up, and contain valuable information for Artists, Calligraphers, Archivists, Historians, Actors, and anyone who just enjoys the art of writing an old-fashioned letter. In a world dominated by technology, the knowledge once used in ages past is almost forgotten. As is so often the case, if you want to understand the world of our ancestors, you first must acquire the long-lost skills they took for granted.
If you’re interested in hosting a workshop, please contact me and let me know.
Have quill, will travel…