andwriting can be difficult to decipher, as anyone who's ever tried to read a prescription or someone's scribbled notes understands. Historians also have to pore carefully through a primary document, sorting out the odd abbreviations, changes in the style of handwriting, and even spelling errors, to get at the heart of a document's meaning.

Well, here at the History Museum, we've decided that's too much work, so we've implemented a new tool - the Instant Transcriber - and we invite you to take a look for yourself at how easy reading history in the form of a primary document can be!

Click on the image to open the activity!

PERSONAL LETTER
The first primary document to go under the lens of the Instant Transcriber is a personal letter. See if you can figure out to whom the letter was sent, who sent it, and where each of them resided. Try it first without the transcriber, then use the resizable lens to discover what the letter really says!