Today I uploaded a new color scan of the second version of Letters From a Self-Made Merchant To His Son in Gregg Shorthand. This version was first published in December 1918 with shorthand plates by Georgie Gregg. It matches the 1916 Pre-Anniversary Gregg Shorthand Manual.
This book has 120 pages with only 87 pages of shorthand plates. The remaining pages contain pictures, front matter, and ads. There are also a few blank pages before new letters.
This is a new color scan from a source book that does not have faded shorthand plates. The other version on the Internet Archive from 2007 was taken from a book with faded shorthand plates. It is very difficult to read.
I looked at a few early editions of this book. The plates were faded, and they were very closely bound. I scanned a copy printed in 1926 that had much darker plates. Unfortunately, I did have to erase a lot of light pencil markings in several places. This scan is very easy to read.
Here are details about the three versions of this book in Gregg Shorthand:
–1st version – Published in 1903. Matches the 1902 Pre-Anniversary Gregg Shorthand Manual.
–2nd version – Published in December 1918 with shorthand plates by Georgie Gregg. Matches the 1916 Pre-Anniversary Gregg Shorthand Manual.
–3rd version – Published in 1933 with shorthand plates by Winifred Kenna Richmond. It matches the 1929 Anniversary Gregg Shorthand Manual.
The English version of this book was written in 1903 by George Horace Lorimer. I’m embarrassed to admit that for a few years, I believed that this book contained letters from a real businessman to his son. I eventually read an article about this book, which stated that it was pure satire and exaggeration. The businessman in this book is purely fictitious.
Link to the new color scan of the 1916 Pre-anniversary version:
https://archive.org/details/lettersfromselfmademerchantgregg1918
Links to other versions on the Internet Archive:
1902 Pre-Anniversary:
https://archive.org/details/l00ettersfromselfmloririch/page/n4
1916 Pre-Anniversary with faded plates:
https://archive.org/details/lettersselfmade00loriiala/page/n4
Anniversary version:
https://archive.org/details/LettersFromASelf-madeMerchantToHisSon-AnniversaryEdition-PrintedIn
English version: