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C/o Miss (Mary A.) Hollingworth, Leithen, Newnham Road, Bedford.—Asks him to write a testimonial to the Pitt Press in support of her system of ‘orthotype’ (‘a method of Printing Reform versus Spelling Reform’), and encloses related papers.

(With envelope. Undated. Postmarked 20 Nov. 1909.)

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Transcript

c/o of† Miss Hollingworth
Leithen, Newnham Road, Bedford

Dear Mr Wright,

The Pitt Press staff are now deciding whether they will publish my Orthotype Method or no. You will remember I asked your advice about it when we were staying at Dr Ginsburg’s. It is a method of Printing Reform versus Spelling Reform intended to save our international words such as “nation” “philosopher” {1} etc. from destruction at the hands of the Spelling Reformers. It is evident that if they succeed there will be no longer any English Language,—but an American, Anglo-Indian, Anglo-Chinese, Scotch, Irish, South British, {2} North British or Anglo-African—language etc. in these several countries. i.e. Our Empire will have no common language.

Could you send me a testimonial to the effect that you disapprove of the method of sacrificing what is permanent & international i e the spelling, to that which is local & transitory i.e. the sound, & that if a phonetic key is necessary for students & teachers you prefer Orthotype which does not alter the spelling. I enclose you a copy of a letter just received from W. St Clair Tisdall D.D. who is a well-known Orientalist & reputed to know 40 languages. You will see that he considers Orthotype indispensable.

I should be very grateful for a quick reply to the Pitt Press (the secretary has my manuscript) or to myself.

With very kind regards | Believe me
Yours sincerely
Anne Deane Butcher

[Direction on envelope:] Wm Aldis Wright Esq. L.L.D. | Trinity College | Cambridge

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The envelope was postmarked at Bedford on 20 November 1909.

{1} Opening inverted commas supplied.

{2} Comma supplied.

† Sic.

Green leather volume, with embossing and gold decoration. Printed illustration from 'Happy New Year' card pasted to inside front cover. Bookplate, 'Ex Libris Bryan William James Hall', with coat of arms and illustration, pasted to front free endpaper.

Numerous autographs, mostly in the form of ends of letters and addresses on envelopes, pasted into book. Notes beneath items (sometimes also pasted in) often identify writers. Complete letters etc have been described in individual records dependent to this one, referenced by their folio numbers; signatures and addressees are referenced by linked authority record only. Some names remain undeciphered or unidentified.

Compiled by a sister of C. W. King, see part letter from King on f. 14r, 'I enclose the autograph of a distinguished Grecian for your book. With love I am, my dear Sister, yours affect[ionate]ly C. W. King'. Although no first name appears, C. W. King's only sister appears to have been Anne, sometimes known as Annette (1824-1874). A letter from W. G. Clark to C. W. King, preserved on the verso of the flyleaf, was sent with 'some autographs for your friend', and there are also envelopes and letters addressed to William Aldis Wright and other members of Trinity suggesting King was actively gathering material for his sister. The bulk of the collection appears to have been assembled between the late 1860s and early 1870s.