For my part in the Moravian Lives transcription process, I transcribed seven pages of the writing of Esther Latrobe:
link to google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JskmdGh4grdhqHksXQmYSCRA0D3VlchO1ceAMjTDobo/edit?usp=sharing
- Page 22:
- Page 23:
- Page 24:
- Page 25:
- Page 26:
- Page 27:
- Page 28:
In the transcription of the above pages of Esther Latrobe’s personal writings, there are special tendencies which the reader must employ in order to create an accurate transcription that can truly communicate Latrobe’s story. Because the writing is from the 1800s, the handwriting and lettering is a different style than we are used to. There were many instances in which I relied on the style of lettering to deconstruct an uncertain word. As the transcriber goes further into the documents, the distinct characteristics of each letter become apparent and it allows for a more accurate understanding of the writing and a more accurate transcription all together. There were also unfamiliar abbreviations relating to the Congregation and its members which were at first difficult to recognize, but as the process continued became more and more discernable. One of the issues I encountered was distinguishing whether a word was misspelled or whether it was a different word altogether. Because the writing is so dated and originates in European countries, there is of course the possibility of alternate spellings which make the words trickier to contemplate and identify. However, overall, the Latrobe pieces were not exceedingly difficult to understand and deconstruct. One of my favorite parts of the transcription process was seeing how the writing unfolded as I went. At first, a sentence would seem intangible and then the clarification of one word would bring the whole meaning of the sentence to light. Even a clarified sentence can bring a whole passage to light and genuinely create a story behind it. The accuracy of our transcription is key; the dated language makes it difficult to understand even without errors, so the closer the transcription is to the actual document, the more we will be able to truly grasp what Latrobe was expressing in her writing.
