MONOGRAMS
The present mania for these engraved conundrums is only a revival.
After a suspension of two centuries or so, these devices can be traced back to early ages
- to the Greeks at least and possibly to Egyptian parentage.
Derived from two Greek words signifying sole ("mono") and
letter("gram"), they are defined as "characters, or ciphers, being an abbreviation of a
name."
Monograms were used on the coins of the old Greek cities by the early
Christians, by the Carlovingian sovereigns; the "merchants' marks" of the middle ages
were often monograms, as were the devices on tradesmen's tokens, the signatures of old
painters and printers.
At the present rate of display among our people, the monogramaniacs
will soon run out of localities on which to manifest their love for letters
. From seals and rings, jewelry and watches, cards and note-paper,
plate and carriages, they have descended to table-linen, bath-towels, dog-cloths and
shirt collars, until there seems to be no spot left on which to apply them, unless it be
to tattoo them on the forehead or put them on the door finger-plate.
curtesy of A. Steel Penn (1871)
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