The Write Stuff

Ink Making

Throughout the Victorian Era and beyond, letter writing was the primary means of communication, and most of the ink used to write those letters, was made at home.  Elderberry was a popular ingredient, as was coal and bootblack.  The Ladies Recipt Book published in 1847, provides the following instructions.

Durable Ink

"The milk or gum that exudes from the stumach is a good substitute for durable ink.  Break off the stalks that support the leaves.  Squeeze them into a cup, expose the writing to the sun, and it will become a fine black."

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