Shorthand Collection

Writing / Shorthand Pitman
Shorthand writing: an example of Pitmans system, boasting that Fortune magazine has gained over 100, 000 subscribers in five short years

Pitmans School, Southampton Row, London - School Building of the famous Secretarial School, teaching secretarial skills such as shorthand and typing

Sir Isaac Pitman
SIR ISaC PITMAN Inventor of a system of shorthand Date: 1813 - 1897

Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving)
3733652 Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Portrait of Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand

Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving)
3733654 Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Portrait of Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand

Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving)
3733653 Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Portrait of Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand

Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving)
3733651 Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Portrait of Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand

Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving)
3733655 Isaac Pitman, 19th century (engraving); (add.info.: Portrait of Isaac Pitman (1813-1897) an English teacher who developed the most widely used system of shorthand

Monsieur le sténographe... 19th century. Creator: Honore Daumier
Monsieur le stenographe... 19th century. Physiogomy of the assembly - Mr. Stenographer

Woman taking dictation, 1955 Secretary office worker

Maureen O Neill poses as a secretary. 1962

Shorthand Ridden By Kerrin Mcevoy May Festival Meeting York 2007 York Racecourse, York, England 16 May 2007 Date: 16 May 2007

Comic postcard, Wife, husband and secretary Date: 20th century

Comic postcard, Scene at secretarial college Date: 20th century

Japanese businessman and his secretary taking shorthand notes (b / w photo)
6015498 Japanese businessman and his secretary taking shorthand notes (b/w photo) by Japanese Photographer (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info)

Some branches of business life in which the blind have been trained to proficiency (b / w photo)
6008291 Some branches of business life in which the blind have been trained to proficiency (b/w photo) by English Photographer

Office Worker Making Notes, 1928 (screen print)
3036150 Office Worker Making Notes, 1928 (screen print) by American School, (20th century); (add.info.: Vintage illustration of a woman office worker making notes in a notepad; screen print)

Examples of shorthand writing systems (colour litho)
3630286 Examples of shorthand writing systems (colour litho) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Examples of shorthand writing systems)

Examples of German shorthand writing systems (colour litho)
3630284 Examples of German shorthand writing systems (colour litho) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Examples of German shorthand writing systems)

Busy Boss on the Phone at His Desk, 1954 (screen print)
2630045 Busy Boss on the Phone at His Desk, 1954 (screen print) by American School, (20th century); Private Collection; Photo eGraphicaArtis; American, out of copyright

Examples of German shorthand writing systems (colour litho)
3630283 Examples of German shorthand writing systems (colour litho) by German School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Examples of German shorthand writing systems)

The Only Will Ever Written in Shorthand (b / w photo)
3628089 The Only Will Ever Written in Shorthand (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Only Will Ever Written in Shorthand)

The leading systems of shorthand compared (litho)
6013647 The leading systems of shorthand compared (litho) by English School, (20th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The leading systems of shorthand compared)

The late Sir Isaac Pitman (b / w photo)
1597125 The late Sir Isaac Pitman (b/w photo) by English Photographer, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: The late Sir Isaac Pitman)

Sketches at the Parnell Inquiry Commission (engraving)
1595891 Sketches at the Parnell Inquiry Commission (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sketches at the Parnell Inquiry Commission)

Sir Isaac Pitman (engraving)
1064521 Sir Isaac Pitman (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Sir Isaac Pitman. Illustration for The Graphic)

John Byrom, 1767 (engraving)
418520 John Byrom, 1767 (engraving) by Duncan (fl.1767); 15x10 cm; Gerald Coke Handel Collection, Foundling Museum, London; (add.info)

Secretary taking dictation Smiling August 1955

Maureen O Neill poses as a secretary. 1962

Blind Typists - Royal Normal College, Upper Norwood
Blind Typists - Royal Normal College for the Blind, Westow Street, Upper Norwood, London. Taking down a telephone message in shorthand

Training in telecommunications, 1941. Creator: Charles Brown
Training in telecommunications, 1941. British RAF personnel in the classroom during the Second World War: Class work...in properly equipped rooms

Shorthand class for women, Choumert Road Evening Institute, London, 1907. With their teacher pointing to various shorthand symbols on the blackboard

Stenography, c1813. Artist: John Moffat
Stenography, c1813. From Edinburgh Encyclopaedia, by David Brewster. [William Blackwood, London, c1813]

Pitmans Metropolitan School, 1906. An advert for Pitmans Metropolitan School, London. From The Tatler Volume 21 [The Tatler, London, 1906]

Franz Xaver Gabelsberger, German inventor of Gabelsberger shorthand, (1900)
Franz Xaver Gabelsberger, 19th century German inventor of a system of shorthand, (1900). Born in Munich, Gabelsberger (1789-1849) devised the system of shorthand writing that is named after him

Isaac Pitman, 19th century British inventor of a system of shorthand writing, 1900. Pitman (1813-1897) developed the most widely used system of shorthand, which is named after him

John Byrom, 18th century English writer and poet born in Manchester, 1821
John Byrom, English writer and poet born in Manchester, 1821. Byrom (1692-1763) invented a system of shorthand. Frontispiece of Introduction to Byroms Short-Hand by Molyneux. (London, 1821)

Kuda Bux and one of his experiments
Undated photograph of Kuda Bux and one of his experiments with " eyeless sight" : with head bandaged, he is duplicating shorthand characters drawn on a blackboard by Lucie Kay

Sir Isaac Pitman, 1813

Two girl guides in uniform on a garden swing, Austria. The handwritten message on the right appears to be mostly in shorthand. Date: circa 1900s

Young woman with notebook and pen
Young woman with shorthand notebook and pen -- a typical secretary. circa 1960s

William Brodie Gurney
WILLIAM BRODIE GURNEY Shorthand writer to the House of Lords : he played a crucial role in the trial of queen Caroline, taking down the testimony for and against. Date: 1777 - 1855

Woman secretary making notes in notebook, (B&W)

John Byrom (1692-1763) English writer and poet born in Manchester, 1821. Byrom invented a system of shorthand. Frontispiece of Introduction to Byroms Short-Hand by Molyneux. (London, 1821)

Shorthand on the back of a postcard. Date: 1917

Palantype machine, 1968
Palantype machine being used by a stenographer to record notes in shorthand. Typing notes in shorthand requires a specialised keyboard

Text message

Xenophon, Greek soldier and historian
Xenophon (c.444-c.357 BC), greek historian and soldier. Born in Athens, Xenophon was a pupil of the famous philosopher Socrates

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Shorthand, a powerful tool in the world of writing and communication, has a rich history that dates back to the 19th century. Developed by Sir Isaac Pitman, shorthand quickly gained popularity and became an essential skill for secretaries and office workers. Pitmans School on Southampton Row in London served as the hub for learning this innovative technique. Students flocked to this prestigious institution to master the art under the guidance of skilled instructors. In 1962, Maureen O'Neill posed as a secretary, showcasing her expertise in shorthand. This photograph captured her poised and confident demeanor while transcribing important information at lightning speed. Comic postcards from the 20th century humorously depicted scenarios involving wives, husbands, and their secretaries. These lighthearted illustrations often highlighted the indispensable role played by shorthand in facilitating efficient communication within professional settings. Another comic postcard portrayed scenes at a secretarial college where aspiring professionals diligently honed their skills. The image showcased students engrossed in their studies, perfecting their ability to capture spoken words with remarkable precision using various shorthand techniques. Even beyond Western countries like England and America, shorthand found its place globally. A black-and-white photo featured a Japanese businessman dictating notes while his secretary adeptly transcribed them using shorthand symbols unique to their language. It also opened doors for individuals with visual impairments who excelled in different branches of business life. A black-and-white photo captured blind individuals demonstrating proficiency in various aspects of work aided by their mastery of this invaluable skill. An intriguing screen print from 1928 depicted an office worker intently making notes using shorthand during a meeting or lecture. This image exemplified how crucial it was for professionals to record information swiftly without missing any crucial details. Color lithographs showcased different shorthand writing systems from around the world - each system representing its own unique set of characters and rules designed for rapid transcription purposes.