Frederick Fisher penmanship copybooks, 1861-1863
2 volumes
This collection consists of two penmanship copybooks Frederick Fisher, possibly of Easton, Pennsylvania, kept in 1861 and 1863. The volumes contain examples of penmanship exercises, mostly sentences and phrases organized alphabetically by the first letter of the sentence or words. Themes relate to duty and honor, good manners, productivity, geography, education, Andrew Jackson and George Washington, and vanity, among others.
The 1861 copybook was sold by William Maxwell of Easton, Pennsylvania, and features an illustrated front cover showing three female figures, including one with dark skin, seated at a wharf, likely allegories representing industry and commerce. Fisher added pen-and-ink drawings of quills on the front cover and inside front cover.
The 1863 copybook was produced by Kiggins & Kellogg, booksellers and stationers in New York. It has printed covers bearing illustrations of children outside of a public school and a multiplication table.