The Gregg Group was founded 22 May 2004, prompted by the lack of online shorthand resources. As the primary use for shorthand — business and legal recording — has waned in recent decades, we generally acclaim the skill as a hobby or personal tool. The purpose of the group is to promote the use of Gregg systems of shorthand by providing advice to beginners, support for students, and an association of users of this efficient, attractive, and enjoyable method of writing.
An American POW writes in his diary as he sits in a Japanese prison camp. His shorthand skills are rudimentary, but he writes as many words as he can in shorthand so the guards can’t read it. Day after day after day, he writes about food … what kind of food he gets; how much;…
I think this was written in the 1970s, but I’m not sure. The penmanship is mediocre, but it’s a good opportunity to practice reading shorthand written by other people of different skill levels. I’ve written the translation below, so don’t scroll down too far if you want to try translating it yourself first! (Some of…
I love real-world examples of how Gregg shorthand was used back in its heyday. Over decades of doing translations, I have seen it used to write love letters, yearbook inscriptions, verbatim legal hearings, tattoos, a will … even a suicide note once. I thought I’d share a small snippet from a looong (and terribly interesting!)…
I thought you might enjoy this single page from a 1947 diary written by a woman who is full of angst, confusion, and pain. At this point in her life, she is having an affair with a married man. He is a devout practicing Catholic. The writer has decided to become Catholic as well. She…
Waaay back in the day, Gregg Shorthand was taught at many high schools as an elective. Of course, that meant that many entries inside the cover of graduation yearbooks were written in shorthand. Sometimes these entries were done a little sheepishly … the writer could express their feelings, knowing that the owner of the yearbook…
I’m working on a WWII field journal (Anni Gregg) and having trouble deciphering a few words – I suspect because I don’t have a military background. I’m hoping some of you can help me fill in the blanks. This is 1943 in Italy. The writer is Canadian or European – not American: … action as…
I recently came across a VERY interesting portion of a diary written in 1926 in Gregg shorthand, and I’m hoping some of you can help me shed a little light on it. Sorry for the poor scan, but the original is very faded, and this is the best scan available. First, let me start with…
So, apparently in the early 1900s in Hawaii, people didn’t get birth certificates when they were born. Often, they didn’t seek to get a birth certificate until they were in need of services that required one. To get one later in life, they had to go through a court proceeding to basically prove who they…