The Hand and the Letter opens this November at the Esplanade. -- SUBMITTED PHOTO
person taps a text message on their phone. An office worker types an email. The familiar clicking and clacking is the sound of the modern “written” word, but for many centuries it was the scratch of a nib on paper. Time and technology may change, but the importance of the written word does not.
The written word shapes us; just think of all the words you have written, read or heard in the past year and how that has affected you. So much of our heritage, regardless of the culture we might come from, is wrapped up in words. We use words to describe ourselves, our actions and our accomplishments, our lives and our loves. For good or for ill, words anchor us to our history.
Throughout history we have relied on writing to aid our memories and communicate with others. This, of course, required a system of writing and something upon which to write! The earliest forms of writing were pictograms. These small symbols could stand for an action or idea and could be combined to record more complex information. Many cultures in the ancient world developed their own systems of pictograms. Some of these systems evolved into phonetic representation which were further perfected (e.g. Chinese) or changed to form alphabetic systems (e.g. Latin characters) that we use in English, French, and other languages.
Before paper was invented scholars across the western world often used papyrus from Egypt. This paper-like material is made from the papyrus reeds that grow along the banks of the River Nile and was first used almost 6,000 years ago. Parchment, made from the untanned hides of young sheep or goats, was developed in the Mediterranean area about 3,000 years ago and was used, and often re-used, until paper became common. Paper was developed in China about 2,000 years ago and began to see use in Europe in about the 11th century where it gradually replaced parchment.
As people became more literate and paper became more common and less expensive, the quantity of written documents increased. We can now easily pick up a book from the library or examine ancient documents from archaeological excavations online and look into the lives of people long ago and all across the globe. Although few people today physically put pen to paper to write a personal letter or write a book, we are still adding to this wealth of knowledge. Much of the modern world has shifted to the digital written word. Sometimes, though, ideas can come around again. Pictograms are once again in common use – just look at the emojis in your text messages! They are almost a language of their own.
Over the past year I have been working on a new exhibition titled The Hand and The Letter. This exhibition looks at the history of written communication and how it has changed – and changed us – over time. There will be many hands-on elements for people of all ages to try, so if you still like to put your marks on paper, come down and look into the history of the written word. The Hand and The Letter opens in early November, 2022 in the Heritage Gallery.
Tom Huilt is Curatorial Assistant, Exhibitions and Collections, at the Esplanade
