"Speak my name and I will live forever" – African proverb
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
1867-1952
Biographical Summary:
Francis Bernard Courtney was born on April 2, 1867 in Worcester, MA, the second-born child of Bernard Courtney and Nora Welsh. His parents were both of Irish descent. His father was born in Ireland; his mother in Maine. Francis had six siblings, four boys and two girls: Thomas W. (b. 1865), Mary (b.1869), George (b.1872), William (b.1874), John (b.1866) and Florence (b.1878). All of the Courtney children were born in Massachusetts.
In 1880, the Courtney family was living in Holden, MA, a small mill town in Worcester County, about forty miles west of Boston. Bernard Courtney was employed as a cloth finisher at the local woolen mill. The family operated a boarding house, managed by Nora Courtney, with eighteen residents, all employees at the mill. The following year, Francis Courtney began his freshman year at the newly opened Holden High School.
On Dec 25, 1909, Francis Courtney married Mildred H. Smith, in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. The marriage was witnessed by Jean G. Farr and Thomas C. Hart. At the time, Francis Courtney was teaching penmanship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the couple later resided. Mildred was also a teacher.
-----------------------------------------
From "Spencerian Script and Ornamental Penmanship, Volume I," by Michael Sull (1989).
Known as "The Pen Wizard" by his peers, Francis B. Courtney was truly unique among penmen. As a student at age 17 of A.H. Hinman, the grand old master and student of P.R. Spencer, Courtney developed his passion for penmanship early in life. Shortly thereafter, he received further training in penmanship at the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio.
His first position after graduation was as an accountant in a manufacturing company, which he held for two years. However, preferring to work in a business college environment rather than in a general office, Courtney wrote 200 single page specimens, each line being in a different style, and sent them out to business colleges throughout the country This brought him many job offers, and his reputation as a penman grew rapidly. Over the years, he taught at many such colleges: Hinman's College, Worcester, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine Business College; Lincoln, Nebraska Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, Missouri; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, Iowa;
Caton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapids Business College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Toland's Business University He was one of the most consistent contributors to the Penman's Art Journal, the American Penman and the Business Educator, and was very prolific in his personal correspondence with his friends and colleagues.
No other penman was so versatile in various writing styles as Francis B. Courtney. He was most flamboyant in the penmanship demonstrations he gave, and he exhibited his prowess with the pen often. He seemed to revel in dashing out exotic and novel forms of decorative writing, a number of which were of his own creation. His Needlestitch script, Courtney's Backslanted script, Figure Writing, and Letterheads became trademarks for this great penman. Throughout his long life, he was an avid teacher, and influenced many young writers with his flawless work. He died at 85 years of age in 1952.
--------------------------------------------------
Detroit Free Press
Sunday, January 21, 1940, pg. 5
EXPERT IN ART - BOTH OLD AND NEW
FORGET THAT FORGERY URGE, HANDWRITING DEAN SUGGESTS
(Excerpts from interview with Francis B. Courtney)
If you're planning on monkeying around with that will your Aunt Erma made back in the '80s, you'd better pass the whole matter up - you just can't get away with it. Other folks have tried it, without market success.
The advice of the dean of Detroit's handwriting experts, however, might be of value if you insist on giving it a whirl...
..."One of the biggest mistakes a forger can make is to trace a signature,' [Courtney] said, 'Nobody has ever been known to write his name exactly the same way, so that if you get a signature which exactly matches the original you can be dead sure there's been dirty work afoot."
"Certain characteristics of a man become so ingrained in his writing that it is impossible to copy them. The matter of handwriting itself is a habit which is practiced almost unconsciously. No man can copy them closely enough to fool an expert."
"In the schools of penmanship we learn first the five S's which characterize handwriting - size, slant, spacing, shading, shape - and even after the passage of many years these characteristics are discernible."
"So you see, when a forger undertakes to copy a signature he has to think in five or more directions at once. Try it sometime; you'll see it just can't be done."
Courtney's files are filled with examples of attempted forgery, separate letters magnified to many times their size, as well as many specimens of authentic signatures for comparison purposes.
Two signatures which may look alike to the naked eye show such obvious differences under the glass that any amateur can detect them - that is, if he has a Courtney at his elbow.
Difference in Pressure
No matter how carefully the forger works, he will exert certain pressures that are at variance with the original and which become evident only under the glass, Courtney said.
One of the most common is in breaking the flow of the writing at points that do not correspond with those of the intended victim. When enlarged, these breaks become visible as blobs of heavy ink or as distinct separations in the lines.
"Handwriting has been used in the prosecution of many famous criminal cases, notably the Hauptmann trial," Courtney said, "but the main field for the science is in civil practice. Of course, it's the duty of the expert to ferret out the truth, no matter whom it affects. In the course of my life as a handwriting analyst, I have proven innocence as often as guilt."
Magazine Carries Work
Courtney is a product, primarily, of the days when a fine hand was essential to business life - copperplate, they sometimes called it. Nearly every month The Educator, a national publication of penmen, carries some example of his work, including ornamental scrolls, flying eagles and soaring bluebirds, which used to decorate the calling cards of the '90s.
"That part of the study of writing is fast becoming a lost art," he pointed out. "Only a few of the old-timers do it any more."
He still has quite a few calls for ornate resolutions of condolence, with illuminated capital letters, such as are issued by lodges to the families of deceased members.
"It's more of a hobby now," he says. "I just do a little now and then to keep my hand in."
He drew a piece of paper close and wrote his caller's name upside down and backwards with equal ease, just to show that he could. Then just to clinch the matter, he surrounded it with a maze of fine lines which merged into a flying bird.
----------------------------------------------------
The Business Educator – June 1930, pg. 5
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
Francis B. Courtney, one of the most skillful penmen the world has ever known, was born in Worcester, MA, in 1867. After completing his public school education he entered Hinman's Business College, Worcester, MA, to take a commercial course. We presume that A. H. Hinman of that school was responsible for firing the penmanistic ambition of this youth, then 17 years of age. Hinman was a penman of national reputation but his apt student soon far surpassed him.
Mr. Courtney also received training in the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio, which school always has had a fine penman on its staff.
After completing his commercial and penmanship education Mr. Courtney for two years held a position as an accountant in a manufacturing establishment.
Perseverance has been one of F. B's predominent characteristics. It has carried him to the front ranks of the penmanship profession. Preferring Business College work to office work he wrote 200 page specimens, each line in a different style and sent them broadcast to business colleges.
This "go get it spirit" brought him many offers from business colleges in various sections of the country and it has kept him going ever since.
As a teacher he has had a wide experience in business colleges, having taught in the following schools: Hinman's College, Worcester, MA; Portland Maine Business College; Lincoln, NE, Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, MO; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, IA; Canton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, MN; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapid's Business College, and Toland's Business University.
On December 2, 1909, he married Miss Mildred Smith of Flint, MI, and in 1912 they moved to Detroit, MI, where his entire time is devoted to the examination of questioned documents.
He deserves the title "Wizard of the Pen." Probably no other penman has been so versatile in styles. His copies in business and ornamental penmanship have been the inspiration of professional penmen as well as students. No scrap book is complete without one of his specimens – and surely he has been generous with his work.
We have always found him ready to do his part for better handwriting. He has always gone out of his way to help other penmen and as a result he has a host of friends.
We might say a great deal more about this remarkable penman but you must see his work in order to thoroughly appreciate it. We are, therefore, printing a few specimens from his pen in this issue. It is unfortunate that space will permit showing only a few specimens and publishing words of appreciation from only a few of his many friends.
As an expert on questioned handwriting he has been very successful, having testified in the courts of many of the states, and also the courts of Canada.
The penmanship profession owes F. B. a debt of gratitude. He has made this old world a more pleasant place in which to live.
Long may Francis B. Courtney live to enjoy the fruits of a busy life well lived, and to our young readers we would say "do your best to imitate his ability."
--------------------------------------------------
Obituary - Detroit Free Press (MI) -
January 23, 1952, page 23
FRANCIS B. COURTNEY
A nationally famed handwriting expert, Mr. Courtney, 84, died Tuesday in his home, 12365 Cherrylawn. Services will be at 7 pm Thursday in the Wood's Funeral Home, followed by cremation.
For more than half a century, Mr. Courtney had been called upon to exercise his talents by almost every division of the United States Government as well as State courts and attorneys.
He came to Detroit 40 years ago from his native Worcester, MA, and since divided his time between the Federal, County and Recorder's Court buildings.
On occasion, he was called to every section of the country to represent various clients, mostly law-enforcing agencies. During his career here, Mr. Courtney represented every automobile manufacturer.
Before taking up his career as a handwriting expert, he taught penmanship in school in New England, Iowa and Wisconsin.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred.
------------------------------------------------
Detroit Free Press - January 24, 1952, page 25
COURTNEY, Jan. 22, Francis Bernard. 12365 Cherrylawn, beloved husband of Mildred Smith Courtney; brother of George V. Courtney and Mrs. Florence Lacey, Worcester, MA. Services at Wood Funeral Home, 8450 Plymouth Road, near Grand River, Thursday, 7 pm. Cremation, buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.
-------------------------------------------------
Text and images on this memorial site were researched and compiled by Thomas W. Costello, great-grandson of Patrick W. (PW) Costello (1866-1935), master penman, engrosser and illustrator from Scranton, PA. Mr. Costello and Francis Courtney were both prominent figures in the art profession in the United States in the early 20th Century.
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
1867-1952
Biographical Summary:
Francis Bernard Courtney was born on April 2, 1867 in Worcester, MA, the second-born child of Bernard Courtney and Nora Welsh. His parents were both of Irish descent. His father was born in Ireland; his mother in Maine. Francis had six siblings, four boys and two girls: Thomas W. (b. 1865), Mary (b.1869), George (b.1872), William (b.1874), John (b.1866) and Florence (b.1878). All of the Courtney children were born in Massachusetts.
In 1880, the Courtney family was living in Holden, MA, a small mill town in Worcester County, about forty miles west of Boston. Bernard Courtney was employed as a cloth finisher at the local woolen mill. The family operated a boarding house, managed by Nora Courtney, with eighteen residents, all employees at the mill. The following year, Francis Courtney began his freshman year at the newly opened Holden High School.
On Dec 25, 1909, Francis Courtney married Mildred H. Smith, in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. The marriage was witnessed by Jean G. Farr and Thomas C. Hart. At the time, Francis Courtney was teaching penmanship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the couple later resided. Mildred was also a teacher.
-----------------------------------------
From "Spencerian Script and Ornamental Penmanship, Volume I," by Michael Sull (1989).
Known as "The Pen Wizard" by his peers, Francis B. Courtney was truly unique among penmen. As a student at age 17 of A.H. Hinman, the grand old master and student of P.R. Spencer, Courtney developed his passion for penmanship early in life. Shortly thereafter, he received further training in penmanship at the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio.
His first position after graduation was as an accountant in a manufacturing company, which he held for two years. However, preferring to work in a business college environment rather than in a general office, Courtney wrote 200 single page specimens, each line being in a different style, and sent them out to business colleges throughout the country This brought him many job offers, and his reputation as a penman grew rapidly. Over the years, he taught at many such colleges: Hinman's College, Worcester, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine Business College; Lincoln, Nebraska Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, Missouri; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, Iowa;
Caton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapids Business College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Toland's Business University He was one of the most consistent contributors to the Penman's Art Journal, the American Penman and the Business Educator, and was very prolific in his personal correspondence with his friends and colleagues.
No other penman was so versatile in various writing styles as Francis B. Courtney. He was most flamboyant in the penmanship demonstrations he gave, and he exhibited his prowess with the pen often. He seemed to revel in dashing out exotic and novel forms of decorative writing, a number of which were of his own creation. His Needlestitch script, Courtney's Backslanted script, Figure Writing, and Letterheads became trademarks for this great penman. Throughout his long life, he was an avid teacher, and influenced many young writers with his flawless work. He died at 85 years of age in 1952.
--------------------------------------------------
Detroit Free Press
Sunday, January 21, 1940, pg. 5
EXPERT IN ART - BOTH OLD AND NEW
FORGET THAT FORGERY URGE, HANDWRITING DEAN SUGGESTS
(Excerpts from interview with Francis B. Courtney)
If you're planning on monkeying around with that will your Aunt Erma made back in the '80s, you'd better pass the whole matter up - you just can't get away with it. Other folks have tried it, without market success.
The advice of the dean of Detroit's handwriting experts, however, might be of value if you insist on giving it a whirl...
..."One of the biggest mistakes a forger can make is to trace a signature,' [Courtney] said, 'Nobody has ever been known to write his name exactly the same way, so that if you get a signature which exactly matches the original you can be dead sure there's been dirty work afoot."
"Certain characteristics of a man become so ingrained in his writing that it is impossible to copy them. The matter of handwriting itself is a habit which is practiced almost unconsciously. No man can copy them closely enough to fool an expert."
"In the schools of penmanship we learn first the five S's which characterize handwriting - size, slant, spacing, shading, shape - and even after the passage of many years these characteristics are discernible."
"So you see, when a forger undertakes to copy a signature he has to think in five or more directions at once. Try it sometime; you'll see it just can't be done."
Courtney's files are filled with examples of attempted forgery, separate letters magnified to many times their size, as well as many specimens of authentic signatures for comparison purposes.
Two signatures which may look alike to the naked eye show such obvious differences under the glass that any amateur can detect them - that is, if he has a Courtney at his elbow.
Difference in Pressure
No matter how carefully the forger works, he will exert certain pressures that are at variance with the original and which become evident only under the glass, Courtney said.
One of the most common is in breaking the flow of the writing at points that do not correspond with those of the intended victim. When enlarged, these breaks become visible as blobs of heavy ink or as distinct separations in the lines.
"Handwriting has been used in the prosecution of many famous criminal cases, notably the Hauptmann trial," Courtney said, "but the main field for the science is in civil practice. Of course, it's the duty of the expert to ferret out the truth, no matter whom it affects. In the course of my life as a handwriting analyst, I have proven innocence as often as guilt."
Magazine Carries Work
Courtney is a product, primarily, of the days when a fine hand was essential to business life - copperplate, they sometimes called it. Nearly every month The Educator, a national publication of penmen, carries some example of his work, including ornamental scrolls, flying eagles and soaring bluebirds, which used to decorate the calling cards of the '90s.
"That part of the study of writing is fast becoming a lost art," he pointed out. "Only a few of the old-timers do it any more."
He still has quite a few calls for ornate resolutions of condolence, with illuminated capital letters, such as are issued by lodges to the families of deceased members.
"It's more of a hobby now," he says. "I just do a little now and then to keep my hand in."
He drew a piece of paper close and wrote his caller's name upside down and backwards with equal ease, just to show that he could. Then just to clinch the matter, he surrounded it with a maze of fine lines which merged into a flying bird.
----------------------------------------------------
The Business Educator – June 1930, pg. 5
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
Francis B. Courtney, one of the most skillful penmen the world has ever known, was born in Worcester, MA, in 1867. After completing his public school education he entered Hinman's Business College, Worcester, MA, to take a commercial course. We presume that A. H. Hinman of that school was responsible for firing the penmanistic ambition of this youth, then 17 years of age. Hinman was a penman of national reputation but his apt student soon far surpassed him.
Mr. Courtney also received training in the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio, which school always has had a fine penman on its staff.
After completing his commercial and penmanship education Mr. Courtney for two years held a position as an accountant in a manufacturing establishment.
Perseverance has been one of F. B's predominent characteristics. It has carried him to the front ranks of the penmanship profession. Preferring Business College work to office work he wrote 200 page specimens, each line in a different style and sent them broadcast to business colleges.
This "go get it spirit" brought him many offers from business colleges in various sections of the country and it has kept him going ever since.
As a teacher he has had a wide experience in business colleges, having taught in the following schools: Hinman's College, Worcester, MA; Portland Maine Business College; Lincoln, NE, Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, MO; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, IA; Canton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, MN; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapid's Business College, and Toland's Business University.
On December 2, 1909, he married Miss Mildred Smith of Flint, MI, and in 1912 they moved to Detroit, MI, where his entire time is devoted to the examination of questioned documents.
He deserves the title "Wizard of the Pen." Probably no other penman has been so versatile in styles. His copies in business and ornamental penmanship have been the inspiration of professional penmen as well as students. No scrap book is complete without one of his specimens – and surely he has been generous with his work.
We have always found him ready to do his part for better handwriting. He has always gone out of his way to help other penmen and as a result he has a host of friends.
We might say a great deal more about this remarkable penman but you must see his work in order to thoroughly appreciate it. We are, therefore, printing a few specimens from his pen in this issue. It is unfortunate that space will permit showing only a few specimens and publishing words of appreciation from only a few of his many friends.
As an expert on questioned handwriting he has been very successful, having testified in the courts of many of the states, and also the courts of Canada.
The penmanship profession owes F. B. a debt of gratitude. He has made this old world a more pleasant place in which to live.
Long may Francis B. Courtney live to enjoy the fruits of a busy life well lived, and to our young readers we would say "do your best to imitate his ability."
--------------------------------------------------
Obituary - Detroit Free Press (MI) -
January 23, 1952, page 23
FRANCIS B. COURTNEY
A nationally famed handwriting expert, Mr. Courtney, 84, died Tuesday in his home, 12365 Cherrylawn. Services will be at 7 pm Thursday in the Wood's Funeral Home, followed by cremation.
For more than half a century, Mr. Courtney had been called upon to exercise his talents by almost every division of the United States Government as well as State courts and attorneys.
He came to Detroit 40 years ago from his native Worcester, MA, and since divided his time between the Federal, County and Recorder's Court buildings.
On occasion, he was called to every section of the country to represent various clients, mostly law-enforcing agencies. During his career here, Mr. Courtney represented every automobile manufacturer.
Before taking up his career as a handwriting expert, he taught penmanship in school in New England, Iowa and Wisconsin.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred.
------------------------------------------------
Detroit Free Press - January 24, 1952, page 25
COURTNEY, Jan. 22, Francis Bernard. 12365 Cherrylawn, beloved husband of Mildred Smith Courtney; brother of George V. Courtney and Mrs. Florence Lacey, Worcester, MA. Services at Wood Funeral Home, 8450 Plymouth Road, near Grand River, Thursday, 7 pm. Cremation, buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.
-------------------------------------------------
Text and images on this memorial site were researched and compiled by Thomas W. Costello, great-grandson of Patrick W. (PW) Costello (1866-1935), master penman, engrosser and illustrator from Scranton, PA. Mr. Costello and Francis Courtney were both prominent figures in the art profession in the United States in the early 20th Century.
"Speak my name and I will live forever" – African proverb
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
1867-1952
Biographical Summary:
Francis Bernard Courtney was born on April 2, 1867 in Worcester, MA, the second-born child of Bernard Courtney and Nora Welsh. His parents were both of Irish descent. His father was born in Ireland; his mother in Maine. Francis had six siblings, four boys and two girls: Thomas W. (b. 1865), Mary (b.1869), George (b.1872), William (b.1874), John (b.1866) and Florence (b.1878). All of the Courtney children were born in Massachusetts.
In 1880, the Courtney family was living in Holden, MA, a small mill town in Worcester County, about forty miles west of Boston. Bernard Courtney was employed as a cloth finisher at the local woolen mill. The family operated a boarding house, managed by Nora Courtney, with eighteen residents, all employees at the mill. The following year, Francis Courtney began his freshman year at the newly opened Holden High School.
On Dec 25, 1909, Francis Courtney married Mildred H. Smith, in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. The marriage was witnessed by Jean G. Farr and Thomas C. Hart. At the time, Francis Courtney was teaching penmanship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the couple later resided. Mildred was also a teacher.
-----------------------------------------
From "Spencerian Script and Ornamental Penmanship, Volume I," by Michael Sull (1989).
Known as "The Pen Wizard" by his peers, Francis B. Courtney was truly unique among penmen. As a student at age 17 of A.H. Hinman, the grand old master and student of P.R. Spencer, Courtney developed his passion for penmanship early in life. Shortly thereafter, he received further training in penmanship at the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio.
His first position after graduation was as an accountant in a manufacturing company, which he held for two years. However, preferring to work in a business college environment rather than in a general office, Courtney wrote 200 single page specimens, each line being in a different style, and sent them out to business colleges throughout the country This brought him many job offers, and his reputation as a penman grew rapidly. Over the years, he taught at many such colleges: Hinman's College, Worcester, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine Business College; Lincoln, Nebraska Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, Missouri; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, Iowa;
Caton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapids Business College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Toland's Business University He was one of the most consistent contributors to the Penman's Art Journal, the American Penman and the Business Educator, and was very prolific in his personal correspondence with his friends and colleagues.
No other penman was so versatile in various writing styles as Francis B. Courtney. He was most flamboyant in the penmanship demonstrations he gave, and he exhibited his prowess with the pen often. He seemed to revel in dashing out exotic and novel forms of decorative writing, a number of which were of his own creation. His Needlestitch script, Courtney's Backslanted script, Figure Writing, and Letterheads became trademarks for this great penman. Throughout his long life, he was an avid teacher, and influenced many young writers with his flawless work. He died at 85 years of age in 1952.
--------------------------------------------------
Detroit Free Press
Sunday, January 21, 1940, pg. 5
EXPERT IN ART - BOTH OLD AND NEW
FORGET THAT FORGERY URGE, HANDWRITING DEAN SUGGESTS
(Excerpts from interview with Francis B. Courtney)
If you're planning on monkeying around with that will your Aunt Erma made back in the '80s, you'd better pass the whole matter up - you just can't get away with it. Other folks have tried it, without market success.
The advice of the dean of Detroit's handwriting experts, however, might be of value if you insist on giving it a whirl...
..."One of the biggest mistakes a forger can make is to trace a signature,' [Courtney] said, 'Nobody has ever been known to write his name exactly the same way, so that if you get a signature which exactly matches the original you can be dead sure there's been dirty work afoot."
"Certain characteristics of a man become so ingrained in his writing that it is impossible to copy them. The matter of handwriting itself is a habit which is practiced almost unconsciously. No man can copy them closely enough to fool an expert."
"In the schools of penmanship we learn first the five S's which characterize handwriting - size, slant, spacing, shading, shape - and even after the passage of many years these characteristics are discernible."
"So you see, when a forger undertakes to copy a signature he has to think in five or more directions at once. Try it sometime; you'll see it just can't be done."
Courtney's files are filled with examples of attempted forgery, separate letters magnified to many times their size, as well as many specimens of authentic signatures for comparison purposes.
Two signatures which may look alike to the naked eye show such obvious differences under the glass that any amateur can detect them - that is, if he has a Courtney at his elbow.
Difference in Pressure
No matter how carefully the forger works, he will exert certain pressures that are at variance with the original and which become evident only under the glass, Courtney said.
One of the most common is in breaking the flow of the writing at points that do not correspond with those of the intended victim. When enlarged, these breaks become visible as blobs of heavy ink or as distinct separations in the lines.
"Handwriting has been used in the prosecution of many famous criminal cases, notably the Hauptmann trial," Courtney said, "but the main field for the science is in civil practice. Of course, it's the duty of the expert to ferret out the truth, no matter whom it affects. In the course of my life as a handwriting analyst, I have proven innocence as often as guilt."
Magazine Carries Work
Courtney is a product, primarily, of the days when a fine hand was essential to business life - copperplate, they sometimes called it. Nearly every month The Educator, a national publication of penmen, carries some example of his work, including ornamental scrolls, flying eagles and soaring bluebirds, which used to decorate the calling cards of the '90s.
"That part of the study of writing is fast becoming a lost art," he pointed out. "Only a few of the old-timers do it any more."
He still has quite a few calls for ornate resolutions of condolence, with illuminated capital letters, such as are issued by lodges to the families of deceased members.
"It's more of a hobby now," he says. "I just do a little now and then to keep my hand in."
He drew a piece of paper close and wrote his caller's name upside down and backwards with equal ease, just to show that he could. Then just to clinch the matter, he surrounded it with a maze of fine lines which merged into a flying bird.
----------------------------------------------------
The Business Educator – June 1930, pg. 5
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
Francis B. Courtney, one of the most skillful penmen the world has ever known, was born in Worcester, MA, in 1867. After completing his public school education he entered Hinman's Business College, Worcester, MA, to take a commercial course. We presume that A. H. Hinman of that school was responsible for firing the penmanistic ambition of this youth, then 17 years of age. Hinman was a penman of national reputation but his apt student soon far surpassed him.
Mr. Courtney also received training in the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio, which school always has had a fine penman on its staff.
After completing his commercial and penmanship education Mr. Courtney for two years held a position as an accountant in a manufacturing establishment.
Perseverance has been one of F. B's predominent characteristics. It has carried him to the front ranks of the penmanship profession. Preferring Business College work to office work he wrote 200 page specimens, each line in a different style and sent them broadcast to business colleges.
This "go get it spirit" brought him many offers from business colleges in various sections of the country and it has kept him going ever since.
As a teacher he has had a wide experience in business colleges, having taught in the following schools: Hinman's College, Worcester, MA; Portland Maine Business College; Lincoln, NE, Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, MO; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, IA; Canton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, MN; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapid's Business College, and Toland's Business University.
On December 2, 1909, he married Miss Mildred Smith of Flint, MI, and in 1912 they moved to Detroit, MI, where his entire time is devoted to the examination of questioned documents.
He deserves the title "Wizard of the Pen." Probably no other penman has been so versatile in styles. His copies in business and ornamental penmanship have been the inspiration of professional penmen as well as students. No scrap book is complete without one of his specimens – and surely he has been generous with his work.
We have always found him ready to do his part for better handwriting. He has always gone out of his way to help other penmen and as a result he has a host of friends.
We might say a great deal more about this remarkable penman but you must see his work in order to thoroughly appreciate it. We are, therefore, printing a few specimens from his pen in this issue. It is unfortunate that space will permit showing only a few specimens and publishing words of appreciation from only a few of his many friends.
As an expert on questioned handwriting he has been very successful, having testified in the courts of many of the states, and also the courts of Canada.
The penmanship profession owes F. B. a debt of gratitude. He has made this old world a more pleasant place in which to live.
Long may Francis B. Courtney live to enjoy the fruits of a busy life well lived, and to our young readers we would say "do your best to imitate his ability."
--------------------------------------------------
Obituary - Detroit Free Press (MI) -
January 23, 1952, page 23
FRANCIS B. COURTNEY
A nationally famed handwriting expert, Mr. Courtney, 84, died Tuesday in his home, 12365 Cherrylawn. Services will be at 7 pm Thursday in the Wood's Funeral Home, followed by cremation.
For more than half a century, Mr. Courtney had been called upon to exercise his talents by almost every division of the United States Government as well as State courts and attorneys.
He came to Detroit 40 years ago from his native Worcester, MA, and since divided his time between the Federal, County and Recorder's Court buildings.
On occasion, he was called to every section of the country to represent various clients, mostly law-enforcing agencies. During his career here, Mr. Courtney represented every automobile manufacturer.
Before taking up his career as a handwriting expert, he taught penmanship in school in New England, Iowa and Wisconsin.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred.
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Detroit Free Press - January 24, 1952, page 25
COURTNEY, Jan. 22, Francis Bernard. 12365 Cherrylawn, beloved husband of Mildred Smith Courtney; brother of George V. Courtney and Mrs. Florence Lacey, Worcester, MA. Services at Wood Funeral Home, 8450 Plymouth Road, near Grand River, Thursday, 7 pm. Cremation, buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.
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Text and images on this memorial site were researched and compiled by Thomas W. Costello, great-grandson of Patrick W. (PW) Costello (1866-1935), master penman, engrosser and illustrator from Scranton, PA. Mr. Costello and Francis Courtney were both prominent figures in the art profession in the United States in the early 20th Century.
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
1867-1952
Biographical Summary:
Francis Bernard Courtney was born on April 2, 1867 in Worcester, MA, the second-born child of Bernard Courtney and Nora Welsh. His parents were both of Irish descent. His father was born in Ireland; his mother in Maine. Francis had six siblings, four boys and two girls: Thomas W. (b. 1865), Mary (b.1869), George (b.1872), William (b.1874), John (b.1866) and Florence (b.1878). All of the Courtney children were born in Massachusetts.
In 1880, the Courtney family was living in Holden, MA, a small mill town in Worcester County, about forty miles west of Boston. Bernard Courtney was employed as a cloth finisher at the local woolen mill. The family operated a boarding house, managed by Nora Courtney, with eighteen residents, all employees at the mill. The following year, Francis Courtney began his freshman year at the newly opened Holden High School.
On Dec 25, 1909, Francis Courtney married Mildred H. Smith, in her hometown of Flint, Michigan. The marriage was witnessed by Jean G. Farr and Thomas C. Hart. At the time, Francis Courtney was teaching penmanship in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where the couple later resided. Mildred was also a teacher.
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From "Spencerian Script and Ornamental Penmanship, Volume I," by Michael Sull (1989).
Known as "The Pen Wizard" by his peers, Francis B. Courtney was truly unique among penmen. As a student at age 17 of A.H. Hinman, the grand old master and student of P.R. Spencer, Courtney developed his passion for penmanship early in life. Shortly thereafter, he received further training in penmanship at the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio.
His first position after graduation was as an accountant in a manufacturing company, which he held for two years. However, preferring to work in a business college environment rather than in a general office, Courtney wrote 200 single page specimens, each line being in a different style, and sent them out to business colleges throughout the country This brought him many job offers, and his reputation as a penman grew rapidly. Over the years, he taught at many such colleges: Hinman's College, Worcester, Massachusetts; Portland, Maine Business College; Lincoln, Nebraska Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, Missouri; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, Iowa;
Caton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapids Business College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; and Toland's Business University He was one of the most consistent contributors to the Penman's Art Journal, the American Penman and the Business Educator, and was very prolific in his personal correspondence with his friends and colleagues.
No other penman was so versatile in various writing styles as Francis B. Courtney. He was most flamboyant in the penmanship demonstrations he gave, and he exhibited his prowess with the pen often. He seemed to revel in dashing out exotic and novel forms of decorative writing, a number of which were of his own creation. His Needlestitch script, Courtney's Backslanted script, Figure Writing, and Letterheads became trademarks for this great penman. Throughout his long life, he was an avid teacher, and influenced many young writers with his flawless work. He died at 85 years of age in 1952.
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Detroit Free Press
Sunday, January 21, 1940, pg. 5
EXPERT IN ART - BOTH OLD AND NEW
FORGET THAT FORGERY URGE, HANDWRITING DEAN SUGGESTS
(Excerpts from interview with Francis B. Courtney)
If you're planning on monkeying around with that will your Aunt Erma made back in the '80s, you'd better pass the whole matter up - you just can't get away with it. Other folks have tried it, without market success.
The advice of the dean of Detroit's handwriting experts, however, might be of value if you insist on giving it a whirl...
..."One of the biggest mistakes a forger can make is to trace a signature,' [Courtney] said, 'Nobody has ever been known to write his name exactly the same way, so that if you get a signature which exactly matches the original you can be dead sure there's been dirty work afoot."
"Certain characteristics of a man become so ingrained in his writing that it is impossible to copy them. The matter of handwriting itself is a habit which is practiced almost unconsciously. No man can copy them closely enough to fool an expert."
"In the schools of penmanship we learn first the five S's which characterize handwriting - size, slant, spacing, shading, shape - and even after the passage of many years these characteristics are discernible."
"So you see, when a forger undertakes to copy a signature he has to think in five or more directions at once. Try it sometime; you'll see it just can't be done."
Courtney's files are filled with examples of attempted forgery, separate letters magnified to many times their size, as well as many specimens of authentic signatures for comparison purposes.
Two signatures which may look alike to the naked eye show such obvious differences under the glass that any amateur can detect them - that is, if he has a Courtney at his elbow.
Difference in Pressure
No matter how carefully the forger works, he will exert certain pressures that are at variance with the original and which become evident only under the glass, Courtney said.
One of the most common is in breaking the flow of the writing at points that do not correspond with those of the intended victim. When enlarged, these breaks become visible as blobs of heavy ink or as distinct separations in the lines.
"Handwriting has been used in the prosecution of many famous criminal cases, notably the Hauptmann trial," Courtney said, "but the main field for the science is in civil practice. Of course, it's the duty of the expert to ferret out the truth, no matter whom it affects. In the course of my life as a handwriting analyst, I have proven innocence as often as guilt."
Magazine Carries Work
Courtney is a product, primarily, of the days when a fine hand was essential to business life - copperplate, they sometimes called it. Nearly every month The Educator, a national publication of penmen, carries some example of his work, including ornamental scrolls, flying eagles and soaring bluebirds, which used to decorate the calling cards of the '90s.
"That part of the study of writing is fast becoming a lost art," he pointed out. "Only a few of the old-timers do it any more."
He still has quite a few calls for ornate resolutions of condolence, with illuminated capital letters, such as are issued by lodges to the families of deceased members.
"It's more of a hobby now," he says. "I just do a little now and then to keep my hand in."
He drew a piece of paper close and wrote his caller's name upside down and backwards with equal ease, just to show that he could. Then just to clinch the matter, he surrounded it with a maze of fine lines which merged into a flying bird.
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The Business Educator – June 1930, pg. 5
FRANCIS BERNARD COURTNEY
Francis B. Courtney, one of the most skillful penmen the world has ever known, was born in Worcester, MA, in 1867. After completing his public school education he entered Hinman's Business College, Worcester, MA, to take a commercial course. We presume that A. H. Hinman of that school was responsible for firing the penmanistic ambition of this youth, then 17 years of age. Hinman was a penman of national reputation but his apt student soon far surpassed him.
Mr. Courtney also received training in the Spencerian Business College, Cleveland, Ohio, which school always has had a fine penman on its staff.
After completing his commercial and penmanship education Mr. Courtney for two years held a position as an accountant in a manufacturing establishment.
Perseverance has been one of F. B's predominent characteristics. It has carried him to the front ranks of the penmanship profession. Preferring Business College work to office work he wrote 200 page specimens, each line in a different style and sent them broadcast to business colleges.
This "go get it spirit" brought him many offers from business colleges in various sections of the country and it has kept him going ever since.
As a teacher he has had a wide experience in business colleges, having taught in the following schools: Hinman's College, Worcester, MA; Portland Maine Business College; Lincoln, NE, Business College; Spaulding's Commercial College, Kansas City, MO; McDonald Business College, Des Moines, IA; Canton's Commercial College, Minneapolis, MN; Wood's School of Business, New York; Cedar Rapid's Business College, and Toland's Business University.
On December 2, 1909, he married Miss Mildred Smith of Flint, MI, and in 1912 they moved to Detroit, MI, where his entire time is devoted to the examination of questioned documents.
He deserves the title "Wizard of the Pen." Probably no other penman has been so versatile in styles. His copies in business and ornamental penmanship have been the inspiration of professional penmen as well as students. No scrap book is complete without one of his specimens – and surely he has been generous with his work.
We have always found him ready to do his part for better handwriting. He has always gone out of his way to help other penmen and as a result he has a host of friends.
We might say a great deal more about this remarkable penman but you must see his work in order to thoroughly appreciate it. We are, therefore, printing a few specimens from his pen in this issue. It is unfortunate that space will permit showing only a few specimens and publishing words of appreciation from only a few of his many friends.
As an expert on questioned handwriting he has been very successful, having testified in the courts of many of the states, and also the courts of Canada.
The penmanship profession owes F. B. a debt of gratitude. He has made this old world a more pleasant place in which to live.
Long may Francis B. Courtney live to enjoy the fruits of a busy life well lived, and to our young readers we would say "do your best to imitate his ability."
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Obituary - Detroit Free Press (MI) -
January 23, 1952, page 23
FRANCIS B. COURTNEY
A nationally famed handwriting expert, Mr. Courtney, 84, died Tuesday in his home, 12365 Cherrylawn. Services will be at 7 pm Thursday in the Wood's Funeral Home, followed by cremation.
For more than half a century, Mr. Courtney had been called upon to exercise his talents by almost every division of the United States Government as well as State courts and attorneys.
He came to Detroit 40 years ago from his native Worcester, MA, and since divided his time between the Federal, County and Recorder's Court buildings.
On occasion, he was called to every section of the country to represent various clients, mostly law-enforcing agencies. During his career here, Mr. Courtney represented every automobile manufacturer.
Before taking up his career as a handwriting expert, he taught penmanship in school in New England, Iowa and Wisconsin.
He is survived by his wife, Mildred.
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Detroit Free Press - January 24, 1952, page 25
COURTNEY, Jan. 22, Francis Bernard. 12365 Cherrylawn, beloved husband of Mildred Smith Courtney; brother of George V. Courtney and Mrs. Florence Lacey, Worcester, MA. Services at Wood Funeral Home, 8450 Plymouth Road, near Grand River, Thursday, 7 pm. Cremation, buried in Glenwood Cemetery, Flint, Genesee, Michigan.
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Text and images on this memorial site were researched and compiled by Thomas W. Costello, great-grandson of Patrick W. (PW) Costello (1866-1935), master penman, engrosser and illustrator from Scranton, PA. Mr. Costello and Francis Courtney were both prominent figures in the art profession in the United States in the early 20th Century.
