Snippet from a 1943 WW2 Field Diary

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!)…

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Page from a 1947 Diary

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…

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1963 Yearbook Entry

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…

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Help with Translation? WWII Field Journal

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…

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Version Used? It’s a Puzzler to Me

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…

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Can Anyone Help Me Fill in the Blanks?

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…

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Really Bad Penmanship – Need Help with Translation

This is a real head scratcher. The writer is now deceased. She learned shorthand back in the 1940s. When she wrote this, she was experiencing a very difficult time in her life. That’s the extent of the information I have. Here’s my best effort at translation so far. Any assistance would be appreciated: maybe need…

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