Collins, Wilkie | Discussing the science of handwriting analysis

Collins, Wilkie

Autograph letter signed ("Wilkie Collins"), to the editor of The Ladies Home Journal, commenting on the science of handwriting 

A charming letter written to Edward W. Bok, editor of the Ladies Homes Journal.

Dear Mr Bok,

You are a born collector of autographs. There is my impression, after reading the narrative of your patience and dedication in prevailing on the most obdurate celebrities to take the pen in hand.

If you are also a believer in the doctrine which asserts that character is revealed in handwriting, what chances of moral discovery are at your disposal!

Collins, the father of the great mystery novel, amusingly debunks the science of revealing one's character through handwriting analysis. He then goes on to provide a large, almost Dickensian, example of his signature for divination and dissection. Indeed, for someone skeptical of the science, he addressed it in his novel Armadale (1864–66): "On this occasion Miss Milroy’s emotions had apparently got the better of her sense of propriety. The tone of the letter was feverish, and the handwriting wandered crookedly up and down in deplorable freedom from all proper restraint." Collins also submitted further samples of his handwriting for analysis in 1887.