Pièce 1 - Letter from Anna Deane Butcher to W. Aldis Wright

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.