Everyday Correspondence

National Postal Museum, Part 2: Characters

2010-03-16T06:25:00.000-04:00

Once you actually go through the historic lobby of the the National Postal Museum, you enter a large atrium, around the sides of which are the entrances to side rooms. Each side room focuses on different eras, methods of delivery, and persons important to the history of the United States Postal System. The exhibits on postal figures were some of my favorites, as they really deepened my knowledge of individuals that I though I already knew a lot about. For starters, history classes frequently highlight Benjamin Franklin's accomplishments as a scientist, founding father, and French envoy, students rarely learn very much about Franklin's role as the first Postmaster General of the United States.

Another character that gets lots of exhibit space in the museum is Franklin Delano Roosevelt. This may be well known by older Americans, but I had no idea that FDR was into philately! In fact, he was so well known as a stamp collector that he was often given gifts of stamps by foreign diplomats. Above is a reproduction of a campaign poster for FDR, hung above the President's stamp collection box. Just before the President's death, a friend had offered to have the box recovered, as a gift. After Roosevelt's passing, the friend returned the box to the Roosevelt family, so the mail tags you see on the box are original from that trip through the post. Below is a picture of another gift given to the Roosevelt, a shelf that the President put on casters and used to wheel about his books of stamps.

In another part of the FDR exhibit, placards explain how the President used postage stamps as a means of improving the national mood during the Great Depression of the 1930s. It was under Roosevelt that colored stamps were first introduced, in wonderful greens and pinks. So into stamps was the President, that he even designed a few himself. It's amazing what you learn when you actually take the time to read the plastic cards next to everyday looking objects.

At the far end of the atrium, there is a walk-through exhibit all about postal inspectors and the perpetrators they catch. I didn't feel quite right taking pictures of mail bombs and the whackos that send them... so I instead took this picture of a poster that gives pointers on how to identify a dangerous package. All around this poster are stories of train robbers (that stole mail carried by train), the unabomber, and the postal inspectors that spent much of their lives pursuing them.

Fascinating.

Friday Night Favorite Reads

2010-03-12T17:09:00.004-05:00

Inkslinging with a Spors glass-nibbed pen at Leigh Reyes. My Life As a Verb.

Spors Fountain Pen Advertising in 1927 at Fountain Pen Restoration

Oh No! You Bruised My Stationery! at The Crane Insider

Wahl-E at Bleubug

8th Carnival of Pen, Pencil and Paper at Pocket Blonde

Antique Writing Boxes - holy friggin' crap! at The Ink Nouveau

Correspondence as Memories

2010-03-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

[click image to view full size]

While blotter paper sits on the back burner, I would like to share with you another zine submission that I received. This submission is from Jackie over at Letters & Journals, titled "Correspondence as... Memories."

Thanks Jackie, for your wonderful reflection on the lasting power of letters!

Mail Mary: A Postal Mystery

2010-03-10T12:04:00.005-05:00

A little philatelic humor via GirlZootZilla:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c

Mail Mary

www.thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Political Humor

Health Care Reform

LaFayette Brewery, Inc. Vintage Letterhead

2010-03-10T01:40:00.001-05:00

In response to The Missive Maven's latest letter to me, the one with the cool rubber stamps, I sent back a letter written on paper printed with my most recently refurbished vintage letterhead image.

I'm especially proud of this new letterhead, from the LaFayette Brewery in LaFayette, Indiana. I think it's a really high quality image, and it should scale and print much better than previous letterheads I have posted.

This letterhead is now available for download in the Vintage Letterhead Image Archive. Also in the archive is a new image that has been available for a couple of weeks. While I didn't post about this new image, I did announce its addition on Twitter.

Rubber Stamp Awesomeness

2010-03-09T14:15:00.002-05:00

It came as no surprise to me that these peachy keen rubber stamps came to me via a letter from The Missive Maven. She's constantly acquiring smart new letter writing accouterments.

Friday Night Favorite Reads

2010-03-05T17:03:00.002-05:00

Unwritten Letters Project, I have no idea how I haven't come across this before!

Jiminy Clickit at Bleubug

Mailer's Postmark Permit #1 at WildPostcards.com

Sailor King Cobra. Hisssssss. at Leigh Reyes. My Life As a Verb.

Etch-A-Sketch Redux at Front Room Press

National Postal Museum, Part I: Victim of "Modernization"

2010-03-04T00:07:00.008-05:00

All last week I tweeted with excitement about my day trip to the National Postal Museum here in Washington, D.C. Finally, on Friday, I was able to spend several hours at the museum, snapping pictures and ogling gorgeous stamps, reading letters of significance and learning about postal inspectors. While it was not my first trip to the museum, it was certainly my most enjoyable visit (probably because I was there alone and could take my time reading all the placards that interested me). Because the museum has so many pieces that I think will be of interest to you, dear readers, I have decided to break up the record of my most recent visit into multiple posts.

Originally the main post office serving the District, the museum building was designed in the Beaux Arts style, and was completed in 1914. The above two pictures are of how the lobby area would have looked when the building opened. On one side of the grand hallway are post office boxes, and on the other, mail windows where clerks would receive outgoing mail. And, in the middle of the grand lobby, wonderful, ornate marble counters.

Wait, back up, you might be saying - how it would have looked? Yes, that wasn't a typo. While it may not surprise you that the building had to be restored when the Smithsonian took over it's operations and turned it into a museum in 1993, it was not for the reasons you might think.

As it would happen, the lobby area was renovated in the 1950s. According to the docent leading the tour I was on, it had less to do with improving fixtures and increasing efficiency, than because the marble floors and plaster ceiling were held to be "dated," and in dire need of modernization. So, in the grand wisdom of our forefathers, the ceiling of the lobby was dropped, the lighting replaced with what look to be fluorescent light bulbs, and, again according to the docent, the marble covered with formica. Below is a picture of the lobby area taken during that (what I call) dark time.

While all of the original plaster work was destroyed during the modernization process, the lobby area has been restored with very well crafted and sculpted replicas. And, by golly, if you didn't read the placards, and ignored the fact that people were snapping pictures with digital cameras, you might just be able to make yourself believe it was 1914, and you were there to buy a sheet of 3 cent stamps to mail off a bundle of letters. Shoot, you might even want to complain about the rate hike, up from 2 cents, because of the war.

In the next post on my museum journey, we'll move into the exhibits! To find out more about the National Postal Museum, visit the museum website and take a virtual tour of the exhibits.

Etiquette Mystery!

2010-03-03T12:53:00.005-05:00

Yesterday, I clicked on a link from @craneinsider, who I follow on Twitter, to his blog post about celebrities and people in the fashion industry sending written notes of congratulations to a magazine in celebration of its 10th anniversary. The magazine's slideshow of cards showed many examples where individuals had crossed out their names on their personalized stationery, Peter (aka The Crane Insider) indicated in his post that this was an indication that the note was of the most personal nature.

When I followed up with Peter, it became clear that neither of us (nor Google, for that matter) seemed to have a source for that rule of etiquette. But, clearly, people use the strikethrough on their personal correspondence.

So, I plead to you, dear readers, for assistance, have you heard of this practice? Do you have a source for the rule in etiquette? Both Peter and I are dying to know!

Friday Night Favorite Reads

2010-02-26T17:56:00.003-05:00

17 Unusual and Creative Mailboxes at Toxel.com

Do You Like Adventure? at Make Every Day a Good Mail Day

Leuchtturm 1917 Ruled Notebook Review at Office Supply Geek

The More Things Change at Bleubug

Ink Review: Rohrer and Klingner Morinda

2010-02-23T15:35:00.013-05:00

Here it is, my first, and most difficult to capture, of a series of Rohrer & Klingner inks! German in origin, I thought it only appropriate to use a German made pen to conduct the review. In this case I used a Reform 1745. A great-quality-for-the-price piston filler, fine springy-nibbed, plastic bodied, 1980s West German pen. Please, forgive the inaccurate color scan, I tried photographing the review in all sorts of different light, but they all came out looking too orange. The below scan was the best result I got, but even the scan is too bright. The actual ink color is somewhere between dried blood and the mid-range reds in the rose pictured below.

[click image to enlarge]

I really enjoyed writing with Morinda. It is a perfect ink in the sense that there are no technical issues, it has great flow, minimal feathering, and no bleed-through, so the only thing I have to worry about when using it is whether or not I like the color of the ink. And, I do!

While I wasn't initially impressed with the color, as I wrote with it, it occurred to me that it would be a perfect red to write a love letter. Morinda has just enough purple in to soften the color, producing the same softening effect as the texture on a rose petal.

Rohrer & Klingner inks are German products and are difficult to find in the United States because they currently do not have a U.S. distributor. The ease of purchasing these inks, however, is about to improve, as The Pear Tree Pen Company, who provided me with these samples, just received a order for the inks. If you'l like to see Morinda and other R&K inks in person, I suggest ordering a few ink samplers to try them out for yourself.

Correspondence as a Message of Love

2010-02-22T19:07:00.005-05:00

It is with a bit of sadness that I inform you, dear readers, that blotter paper has been placed on indefinite hold due to an insufficient response to last year's calls for submissions. While I do plan on picking up the project again later this year, it is unclear what will come of it. In the meantime, I want to publish some of the brilliant work I did receive here, on Everyday Correspondence.

[click image to enlarge]

This magnificent hand drawn piece, by Laura Alvarez, is titled "Correspondence as a Message of Love." The grey border is from the template, which will be removed should blotter paper ever move to print. I hope it doesn't get in the way.

Enjoy!

And the winner is...

2010-02-21T13:17:00.001-05:00

chandlerguera!

Thanks to all who entered to win a copy of Yours Ever, and a special thanks to those who spread the word about the giveaway.

Very truly yours,

James

EDIT: I attempted to copy and paste the widget used to determine the winner, but after failing to do so properly, I just removed it from this post.

Rohrer and Klingner Inks: Reviews on the Way

2010-02-20T09:46:00.002-05:00

I've read lots of good type about Rohrer & Klingner inks , but have never been able to get my hands on any samples, as they do not have a major U.S. distributor. Lucky for me, The Pear Tree Pen Company, a company featured a couple of times as market watch posts here on Everyday Correspondence, is importing a significant number of bottles and passed a few my way for review. I'll be rolling these reviews out over the next week or so, so check back soon!

Friday Night Favorite Reads

2010-02-19T17:11:00.001-05:00

Blists Hill Post Office at Letter Writers Alliance

Lost My Marbles at Bleubug

Yours Ever: A Book Review & Giveaway

2010-02-16T23:07:00.010-05:00

Late last year I saw posts on a couple of other letter writing blogs about the new book by Thomas Mallon titled Yours Ever. The reviews were encouraging. So, when I was approached by Pantheon Books to do a review of the book and a giveaway here on Everyday Correspondence, I accepted the offer immediately. While there were no expectations of a positive review in my agreement with Pantheon, I still feel compelled to give Yours Ever strong marks.

The New York Times gave the book a good review for it's content, but Mallon's appreciation for the written letter aside, two things about the book struck me as both refreshing and unique. First, I appreciated Mallon's organization. Rather than taking the reader through a chronological journey of people and their letters over the years, Mallon organizes the chapters in Yours Ever by subject matter. In doing so, Mallon is able to draw connections between different approaches to delivering the same message. The organizational style also allows Mallon to analyze the impacts of technology on written correspondence. For example, in the chapter "Complaint," Mallon observes:

Sarcasm ("My dog left home when he heard I had voted for you") depends, in both the writer and the reader, on an appreciation of distortion. Paranoia has no time for such contrivances. It is terribly urgent, under the gun and ready to assert itself in ALL CAPS, which even now pack an unsettling punch when they show up in the pixels of angry e-mail - though nothing can be more upsetting than the slithering hate fax, whose paper seems to come, somehow, from the sender himself and not the recipient's own machine.

Mallon's acknowledgment of technological contributions to correspondence is the second point that made Yours Ever stand out to me. Mallon takes a more or less neutral position on the effects technology in the form of e-mail and texting have had on personal correspondence. Rather, he points out the positives and negatives, in the hopes of enriching the the reader's appreciation of correspondence in all forms. Before detailing the "lack of emotional affect to much e-mail," Mallon notes that while e-mail doesn't have sentimental intangibles like envelopes sealed with a kiss:

[E]lectronic mail has a few of its own oddball, endearing traits: the subject line that hangs around long past the point at which it has anything to do with what the correspondence is now discussing; the whimsical screen names that it shuttles between. Shipboard cable addresses, temporary handles for the transoceanic traveler, used to have something of the same charm. Jessica Mitford's was ELKSHATRACK, chosen after a friend told her "You need news from home like an elk needs a hat rack."

It is Mallon's organization and his treatment of technology that made Yours Ever a stand out read, for me. So, if you are looking for an entertaining account of correspondence from some of the world's most prolific figures and writers, without the "woe for the modern age and it's lack of good letters" attitude, then I recommend this book for you.

If the $26.95 price tag for the first run hardcover is a bit too much for your wallet at the moment, then I have good news! Pantheon Books is sponsoring a giveaway! Books may be shipped anywhere in the world, so this contest is open all readers of Everyday Correspondence.

Giveaway Rules:

1. Please, leave a comment after this post with your name and an e-mail address at which I can reach you should you be picked the winner of the giveaway. You may enter once in this fashion.

2. Additional entries may be had by tweeting about this giveaway and/or linking to this post from your website. Please leave an additional comment with a link to the tweet/post/website for each additional entry.

3. A winner will be randomly selected using the random number generator on Random.org at 1 PM EDT on Sunday, February 21, 2010. A short time later, the winner will be announced on Everyday Correspondence and the individual will be contacted by e-mail.

Best of luck to you all!

Yours ever,

James

Friday Night Favorite Reads

2010-02-12T17:09:00.003-05:00

Little Red Mailbox at Goodnight Little Spoon

I Heart Mail Art: a mini-book at The Missive Maven

Postal Service Station From the American Adjustomatic Corporation at Bashfully Designed

The Oscars of Type at Printmag.com

Snow Service

2010-02-12T16:09:00.009-05:00

Due to the ridiculous amounts of snow we've received here in D.C., today marks my 8th consecutive calendar day without a postal delivery.

On Wednesday, I dropped some quality mail in the mailbox pictured above. I wonder if it's been sitting in there ever since.

Ugh...

Pulp Find: Mame Edition

2010-02-12T06:44:00.002-05:00

I have an auntie Mame. Well, not the real auntie Mame, but an aunt that is equally unique and adventurous as the character from the show of the same name. With this correlation in mind, coupled with my affection for 1920s style, this card caught my eye while I was perusing the racks at Pulp.

Once I saw it, I knew I had to have it... and that I had to sent it to my auntie Mame. The woman on the card looks like the character, as by Lucille Ball in the film version of Mame, walked right off the screen and onto the paper.

Even if the image didn't spark an emotional response from me, the fantastic image, the vintage style and the glitter would have been more than enough for this 5 x 7 to find its way into my basket.

I sent the card off to my aunt as a Valentine. Have you posted any special Valentine's this year?

IKEA Envelope

2010-02-11T10:30:00.000-05:00

My homemade envelope rash continues! Although, I actually made this envelope from the page of an IKEA catalog over the summer. I found it last week tucked in a folder and I just had to use it.

Pulp

2010-02-10T06:27:00.000-05:00

Washington, D.C. received as much as 30" in parts of the metropolitan area this past weekend. I live in Washington, D.C. Therefore, I have been stuck inside for the past few days, right? Wrong!

I actually escaped my dwelling place for a couple of days between snow storms (we are in the midst of the second storm as I write) and trudged around the city, making the most of my days off.

During one walking adventure in my soggy Chuck Taylors, I came upon Pulp, a stationery store with as much attitude as its exterior would suggest. I have read several mentions of Pulp on a few of the local blogs that I subscribe to, but had never been there myself. I consider this the first stop in what I hope will become a tour of my local pen, paper and ink stores.

Entering the store, I was greeted by the largest display of sassy, snappy, and charmingly rude greeting cards I have ever seen. The collection began at the front door and stretched all the way to the back, up a staircase, and then back some more. Fantastic as this cache of cards was, I was more in the market for loose stationery.

Luckily, I found some great letterpressed loose sheets (I'll post about them later). And, because I couldn't resist, I also picked up a number of cards (you'll see those posted soon, too).

On the whole, I considered the trip worth the journey. If you're ever in the area and need a cool place to kill some time, or you just really have a hankering for a greeting card that says, "I'm indie, edgy, but still like to celebrate birthdays," then I recommend you pay Pulp, located on 14th and S Streets N.W., a visit.

I have no affiliation with Pulp or any sassy greeting card companies.

Magazine Needs Your Content

2010-02-10T02:32:00.007-05:00

There are people that are passionate about written correspondence and journaling, there are people who are good writers, and then there are the people who read Everyday Correspondence. By reading this you satisfy the third grouping, so if you also fit into the other two groupings (read: if you're in the middle of my little venn diagram) then I strongly encourage you to submit content for Letters & Journals, a magazine about correspondence of all sorts, and it's soon-to-launch website! Check it out.

Dino-mite Correspondence

2010-02-06T06:47:00.001-05:00

Back in January I read about a functioning post office shanty that had been set up on a lake in Minneapolis, over at Letter Writers Alliance. In the blog entry, I learned that I actually know some of the people involved with the project! Many years ago I worked at the Science Museum of Minnesota with a couple of the artists behind the shanty.

I absolutely had to write them a letter. In recognition of our common past, I employed a dinosaur theme for the letter. On the exterior of the letter, I used some temporary tattoos (I accidentally bought them in the dollar section at Target a while back, thinking they were stickers). Thought, I didn't remember them until I had already sealed the envelope... so I hope I didn't inadvertently smear the water based fountain pen ink I used to write the letter.

I also used a tree stamp to create some flora to go with the envelope's pre-historic fauna.

Friday Night Favorite Reads

2010-02-05T17:13:00.001-05:00

Niblets at Bleubug

Midnight Rendezvous at The Missive Maven

Special Postmarks for Valentines at Letter Writers Alliance

If your ballpoint stops working, you throw it away. at Leigh Reyes. My Life As a Verb.

The Dracula Collection at Goodnight Little Spoon

Episode #08: Habana v. Webbie at The Ink Nouveau (video blog)

Pallarols Inkstand Envelope

2010-02-05T06:25:00.001-05:00

Several months ago, I stumbled upon an article about a silversmith named Juan Carlos Pallarols from Argentina, who works for months, sometimes years, on single pieces of art. One of his specialties is writing accessories, the products of which are often purchased by kings and... Antonio Banderas.

At the time, I tore out the page and tucked it away in my bag. Then, today, I came upon the article, which included some great pictures. And I did the most logical thing I could think of, I made the page into an envelope to send to a pen pal who loves fountain pens. I used a Gary Cooper stamp on the envelope because his is the classiest looking mug in my current stock of postage.

I would love to own one of these fine pieces! But, then again, I might rather spend the $25,000 required to purchase one on things that would make me feel way less guilty.