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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: cakemagic on Friday 26 August 11 19:00 BST (UK)

Title: Grandfather Baxter - decipher shorthand please
Post by: cakemagic on Friday 26 August 11 19:00 BST (UK)
Does anyone know what the squiggles mean that are underneath the signature on this photo. My grandfather was in the A.S.C in the first world war. It could be shorthand of some sort?
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter
Post by: carol8353 on Friday 26 August 11 19:05 BST (UK)
As it was obviously sent from hubby to his wife it is probably their own personal shorthand  :P

Carol
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter
Post by: fenifur on Thursday 01 September 11 15:44 BST (UK)
My mum writes short hand, when she gets back off holiday I'll ask her to have a look if no one else has deciphered it. :)
the last symbol really rings a bell though, I'm wondering if maybe it's another language rather than shorthand!
I do rather like the idea of a secret 'code' between husband and wife though :)
Jenny
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter
Post by: cakemagic on Thursday 01 September 11 21:48 BST (UK)
Thanks in anticipation - be interesting to know what it says...
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter
Post by: PrueM on Friday 02 September 11 00:07 BST (UK)
Certainly looks like shorthand of some kind - I'll add "shorthand" to the title of this topic to attract any experts :)
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter - decipher shorthand please
Post by: braw on Friday 02 September 11 11:13 BST (UK)
The first symbol looks like an eye,so maybe its "I love you"
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter - decipher shorthand please
Post by: PrueM on Friday 02 September 11 11:28 BST (UK)
Looking in a 1917 Pitman shorthand dictionary online, the first symbol on the photo looks awfully like the Pitman shorthand for "love":
http://openlibrary.org/books/OL7040324M/English_and_shorthand_dictionary
Title: Re: Grandfather Baxter - decipher shorthand please
Post by: SmallTownGirl on Friday 02 September 11 17:39 BST (UK)

I was taught Pitman shorthand in the 1960s and I don't recognise the symbols as being Pitman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitman_shorthand

STG