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Old Photographs, Recognition, Handwriting Deciphering => Handwriting Deciphering & Recognition => Topic started by: Yvonne Donnellon on Monday 28 June 21 08:19 BST (UK)

Title: Shorthand?
Post by: Yvonne Donnellon on Monday 28 June 21 08:19 BST (UK)
Hi

This was a postcard my great uncle Bernard sent during World War 1 (we think!). I'm guessing this short hand, can anyone read this?

Thanks in advance.
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: HeatherLynne on Monday 28 June 21 10:19 BST (UK)
Hi Yvonne
It is indeed shorthand and looks quite like the Pitman New Era form I learnt in the 1970s.  However I'm struggling to read it even though the writing looks quite clear  :-\  I wonder whether it could be a French version as from the longhand I can read St Hyacinthe and Comte Rouville which are in Canada. 
I read the address as M. Arthur Germaine (M. as in Monsieur rather than Mr. as in mister, which points towards French perhaps), College St Hilaire, Comte Rouville, P.2.   From Googling it seems this College in Quebec still exists and the webpages relating to it are in French, so perhaps it is French shorthand.

Can you read the last few words in longhand?  "Ecole Saline Ecole commerical xxxxxxxxx P.2."

Sorry I can't help any further, but there's sure to be someone along soon who can :)
Heather
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: Bookbox on Monday 28 June 21 10:28 BST (UK)
Can you read the last few words in longhand?  "Ecole Saline Ecole commerical xxxxxxxxx P.2."

Ecole Salime
Ecole Commercial St Hyacinthe P.Q. (= Province of Quebec)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Hyacinthe
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: HeatherLynne on Monday 28 June 21 10:31 BST (UK)
Can you read the last few words in longhand?  "Ecole Saline Ecole commerical xxxxxxxxx P.2."

Ecole Salime
Ecole Commercial St Hyacinthe P.Q. (= Province of Quebec)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint-Hyacinthe

Ah yes that makes sense!  I'd forgotten that capital Qs looked like 2s  :)
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: Yvonne Donnellon on Monday 28 June 21 11:04 BST (UK)
Arh, french short hand! Just my luck!  ;D

This man was incredible, he lost his mum as a very little boy, was sent to Kirkdale Industrial school and left Liverpool in 1899 at 11 years old as one of the British Homechildren. He sailed on the Gallia with the Liverpool Catholic Children's Protective and Rescue Home, arriving in Quebec.

He was placed with a farmer who nearly beat him to death, the nuns had to take him back and raised and educated in the convent. He learnt 12 languages, and now it appears, shorthand too!
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: Karen McDonald on Monday 28 June 21 11:16 BST (UK)
He certainly does sound interesting!

Just in case nobody offers a transcription/translation, maybe you could take a look here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duployan_shorthand

It would be a lot of work, and you might still need a tranlsation from French to English, but...  :P

Best regards,
Karen
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: shanreagh on Tuesday 29 June 21 01:31 BST (UK)
Or you could ask on the Canada Board. You might find someone there who can translate shorthand plus is a French Canadian speaker.   :)
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: J.J. on Tuesday 04 February 25 15:22 GMT (UK)
Yvonne, I am reviving this thread to ask if you have found someone to decipher & translate this for you. You never know if somebody knows somebody who can help!
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: Yvonne Donnellon on Saturday 15 February 25 13:19 GMT (UK)
Yvonne, I am reviving this thread to ask if you have found someone to decipher & translate this for you. You never know if somebody knows somebody who can help!

That's very kind of you, thanks. I haven't managed to find help with this, so would be very grateful for any help from french speaking short hand experts!
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: manukarik on Saturday 15 February 25 15:31 GMT (UK)
Don't know how accurate this is, but cheated and used copilot with duployan shorthand and the image and got this:

Deciphering Duployan shorthand can be a bit of a puzzle, but I'll give it a shot! Here's a rough translation of the shorthand text on your postcard:

```
My dear Arthur,
I hope this letter finds you well. It has been a long time since we last spoke, and I miss our conversations. I am looking forward to seeing you again soon. Take care.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
```

Please keep in mind that shorthand can be highly personalized, and variations in strokes and symbols can lead to different interpretations. If you have more context or if there's a specific part you'd like me to focus on, let me know! 😊

If any of that is in there, it seems to miss out quite a lot!
Title: Re: Shorthand?
Post by: Yvonne Donnellon on Saturday 15 February 25 17:26 GMT (UK)
Don't know how accurate this is, but cheated and used copilot with duployan shorthand and the image and got this:

Deciphering Duployan shorthand can be a bit of a puzzle, but I'll give it a shot! Here's a rough translation of the shorthand text on your postcard:

```
My dear Arthur,
I hope this letter finds you well. It has been a long time since we last spoke, and I miss our conversations. I am looking forward to seeing you again soon. Take care.
Yours sincerely,
[Name]
```

Please keep in mind that shorthand can be highly personalized, and variations in strokes and symbols can lead to different interpretations. If you have more context or if there's a specific part you'd like me to focus on, let me know! 😊

If any of that is in there, it seems to miss out quite a lot!

Thank you so much!