Rumors of the demise of handwriting were (and are) greatly exaggerated. Over the past 500 years, handwriting hasn’t disappeared; it’s evolved. Displaying a range of books and manuscripts from the Newberry’s collection, A Show of Hands focuses on the people, cultures, and technology that have contributed to a re-imagining of the handwritten word.

Classroom technology has evolved since the early modern era in Europe. Students used to learn to read using hornbooks. Hornbooks were wooden boards or paddles covered with a protective screen made from animal horns. That’s right, actual animal horns.