Graphology and the Psychology of Handwriting

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. But only those readers who have attempted to work through it are aware how voluminous is the literature of graphology. This literature is found mainly in the French and German languages. Discussions of graphology by English writers suffer greatly by comparison, so much more subtle, discriminating, and scholarly are the former. A somewhat close reading of a number of these works has convinced me that a summary of the points of view involved might be profitably undertaken. If nothing more, it may stimulate the psychology of handwriting to novel methods of approach. In my survey of graphological doctrine I have followed, largely, a comparative treatment. I have sought, that is, to present graphological material in light of the perspective furnished by the modern scientific study of handwriting. Such study has pursued several differing lines of interest, very differently motivated. A word as to each will serve to map out our territory.