By Esmé Read
If you’re anything like me, you rely on texting, emails, and perhaps even social media to communicate on a daily basis. Handwriting always doesn’t seem as vital as it once was, and many young people don’t even learn how to write in cursive anymore. In an age where we are relying on screens and typing more and more, reading and writing by hand has become somewhat of an antiquated habit.
As an intern for the Hastings Historical Society, I spent two months this past spring analyzing and typing up handwritten historical documents from the Draper family, the original owners of what is now Draper Park and the Historical Society premises. Reading these handwritten documents requires a knowledge of cursive script, and a fair bit of detective work. Transcribing each item, whether it is a personal letter or an official document, means combining multiple strategies to decipher the contents.
First, you must grow accustomed to the writer’s handwriting style because of course each one is unique. One person’s letter “h” may look like a “6” written by someone else. Take a look at the “6” in “62” in this example:
You begin to recognize and distinguish how an individual writes the words “or” versus “on.” Syntax can provide context and clarity to make this easier. I often come across a word that at first glance appears like a jumble of squiggles, but using the sentence structure as a guide, I can piece together some clues. For example, if the previous two words are “I am” the mysterious jumble of loops is likely a verb ending in “-ing.” Here’s a case in point:
This of course does not solve the whole problem, but certainly narrows down the possibilities. The context of the document as a whole, or some familiarity with the writer can also be a helpful guide. When reading the letters of Daniel Draper (one of John William’s sons), knowing that he was one of America’s first meteorologists made it much less confusing when I encountered words like “barometer” and “atmosphere” in his letters. Without that knowledge, I would have second guessed what he was talking about.
Finally, when I am truly stumped, a simple Google search can help. This isn’t always reliable for deciphering common words, but is incredibly useful for proper nouns. In transcribing a letter from John Christopher Draper (another son), in which he describes a trip from Hastings to Buffalo, a few quick searches helped me cross check the names of various towns he mentions passing through and verifying their spelling.
The time consuming and occasionally laborious nature of this process may beg the question “Well, what is this for, anyway?” In fact, there are a number of highly practical purposes for transcription. For one, it means anyone else who wants to read these documents can do it a lot faster and more efficiently. Instead of re-inventing the wheel by re-examining the handwritten original, having access to a transcription enables everyone else to easily read or skim a document’s contents – especially if they don’t know how to read cursive.
One of the documents I transcribed was the John William Draper Title to Hastings Estate, detailing the deed John William Draper received in 1847 for the land that became his property in Hastings-on-Hudson. I spent a whole month transcribing the 32 front-and-back pages of the document. It lays out the fascinating history of the ownership of the land, which was repeatedly divided, sold, and even foreclosed upon over the course of the 43 years before Draper’s purchase. Having a transcription means that other staff at the Society and future researchers can easily glean information about the title, prior owners (including Washington Irving!), and Hastings history.
Transcription also creates the possibility of bringing primary source documents to a wider public. Transcriptions in general, at the Historical Society or elsewhere, make it easier to potentially digitize records in the future. Digitized transcriptions allow users to use keyword searches and for visually impaired users to employ screen readers.
There are many more papers in the Draper Collection that have yet to be transcribed, so this is certainly a long-term endeavor. However, it means that the project like the one I have undertaken this spring is just scratching the surface of the amount of transcription that still needs to be done at the Historical Society. It also means that if you (yes, you!) can read cursive and want to volunteer with the Society, there is certainly a project here for you.
Esmé Read has been an intern at the Historical Society since February of 2025. In 2022, she graduated from Bryn Mawr College with a degree in Art History. She will be attending Bard Graduate Center’s masters program in the fall.
Interesting, and absolutely on point. Cursive handwriting and being decent at it was a must (back in the 50s) if you wanted a passing grade at Saint Matthews elementary school, on the corner of Vallard Avenue and Broadway. The Franciscan Nuns who taught there made sure of it, my knuckles on my right hand could attest (inside joke 😬 ) But the sisters were caring and encouraging, not everybody was good at it, but they made sure you would get a passing grade and your handwriting would at least be legible.
Keep up the good work 👌
Great article. Fascinating work.
Thoroughly enjoyed the article and concur with the comments, including the inside joke about learning cursive at St. Matthew’s.
Esme–congratulations on the important work you have done. For many generations, please will refer to it and learn historical information that might otherwise have been lost. You have also gained critical researching skills that will serve you well in your professional and personal lives.
Excellent reporting and writing. A great read!
Thank you, Esme. You are doing important work.