The Whole Art Of Tachygraphy; Or, Short Hand Writing Made Plain And Easy.
By Graves and Ashton - Teachers Of The Mathematics In Gainsborough
Printed by C. Etherington: York 1775
Scarce - None Available Online Globally At Time Of Listing
"The Whole Art of Tachygraphy; Or, Short Hand Writing Made Plain and Easy (York: C. Etherington, 1775) is an early and uncommon eighteenth-century instructional manual designed to teach the principles of shorthand in a clear, accessible manner. Written by Graves and Ashton—both mathematics teachers in Gainsborough—the work breaks down tachygraphy into systematic lessons, offering students a practical and simplified approach to rapid writing at a time when shorthand was becoming increasingly valued in education, business, law, and clerical work. The authors aim to demystify the art, presenting rules, symbols, and examples in a structured format suitable for beginners and self-learners.
This 1775 York printing, sold in London by John Bell and other booksellers throughout Britain, reflects the regional production and dissemination of technical manuals during the late Georgian period. Its content embodies the era's drive toward improving literacy, record-keeping, and personal efficiency, making it both a functional guide and a historical snapshot of eighteenth-century pedagogical practice. Today, it stands as a desirable item for collectors of early shorthand systems, Georgian instructional texts, and antiquarian works on writing and communication."
