You like handwriting? It's my one wee vanity...I have an almost perfect Palmer hand.:-)
Handwriting is fascinating in that it was considered a "status symbol" at one time, much like the ability to actually construct a sentence. A couple years ago I'm at the house of some whacked out European in California and he actually gave his children handwriting lessons. The tutor came in and instructed them on the care and use of a fountain pen, etc. etc. etc.
The style of many periodicals was more formal half a century ago. Where the language lived was on the sports pages. I also enjoyed the Police Gazette. However, all that said, I think that if you go back and look at the old papers/Reader's Digest etc., you'd see the simplicity of the writing.