Handbook for translators of Spanish historical ... - University Library

PALEOGRAPHY
pressure, embellishments, abbreviation of final letters,
curves, ragged lines, crossing of the "t", dotting of the
"i", acute or rounded angles, are a few additional individual
characteristics of handwriting that should be isolated
when the reader is attempting to read accurately a
difficult manuscript.
It is often advisable, for the purpose of identification
through comparison to magnify handwriting. When such
is the case, a good hand magnifier may be used "such as the
Aplenatic Non-spherical Reading Glass magnifying eight deameters,
made by Zeiss. The Albada Wide-angle Magnifier X3.5
is another very useful instrument, because with it an exceptionally
large field can be surveyed simply by moving the
eye. This is of great advantage in the study of manuscripts,
as it makes possible the simultaneous comparison of two
handwritings."!^ If great magnification is desired, a binocular
microscope with the low-power objective under reflected
light, daylight whenever possible, should be
used. 20
In transcribing manuscripts, it is alwayo safer to use
the original itself whenever possible. Photostatic or microfilm
copies are useful only when the original is not
available since there is a possibility that part of the
original may be lost in photographing. Nevertheless, photography
in various forms is an excellent aid in the identification
of handwriting.
As a matter of fact photography, in one form or another,
is rapidly becoming an indispensable factor in the accurate
reading and transcription of manuscripts. Use of special
illumination and light filters has been made by students of
historical documents in the reproduction of manuscripts with
remarkable results. In photographing manuscripts for the
purpose of bringing out handwriting that is difficult to
read with the naked eye or even with the aid of a hand viewer
or microscope, ultra-violet rays, with adequate light
and light filters are sometimes used as well as chemicals
to cause fluorescence.
19 R. B. Haselden, Scientific Aid for the Study of Manu-
scripts, p . 43.
'^^For an excellent discussion on the use of microscopes
in the identification of questioned documents, see
Altert Osborne, Questioned Documents. Chapter VI.
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