Giveaway: Vintage Letterhead Sample Packs

I'm in the middle of a transition which requires me to create space in my home. Part of that process involves going through all my letter writing paraphernalia. And, wouldn't you know it? I have more than I require. A couple of years ago, when I had only temporary access to a color laser printer, I printed a bunch of refurbished vintage letterhead images onto half sheets of paper. Shortly thereafter, I lost them. 

Today I found the stash. 

Because I don't need so many copies, I'd like to give some away to you, dear readers. I have three packs of seven letterheads, printed on Southworth 25% cotton, linen finish paper, which I'll be giving away at random. There are two ways to enter this giveaway, first by commenting on this post with your favorite writing implement or favorite color ink, and second, by Tweeting "I'm entered in the vintage letterhead #giveaway at http://bit.ly/xdcOYg via @EverydayCorresp".

You may earn one entry per described entry method. So long as you live on the planet Earth, you are eligible to win. Entries must be received by 12:01 a.m. p.m. eastern time on Monday, March 12, 2012. I'll announce the winners in a post sometime on Monday afternoon. Winners will then have to contact me with their mailing address for delivery.

Enter quickly via Tweet

The Pen is Mightier, But...

It's 65 and sunny in Washington, D.C. Spring is in the air. As such, I'm feeling mighty green. So, today I pulled back the curtains, threw open the windows, and wrote a letter while sitting in the sun.

Feeling a tad industrious, I printed off the newly refurbished Smith Premier Typewriter Co. vintage letterhead image onto 28 lb. Hammermill color copy paper. Then, I picked up my desperately in need of cleaning Parker 45 loaded with Platinum Blue Black ink, began writing - and then promptly capped the pen an tossed the sheet of paper. The 45 was skipping and the Blue Black was bringing me down.

Because each of my vintage fountain pens requires repair, I took a chance on my first fountain pen purchase, a steel-nibbed Waterman Kultur. To load it, I cracked a new bottle of J. Herbin Vert Empire. It was sooo worth it. A fresh pen and some green ink kicked my mood into high gear, and I think the result was a pretty good letter.

Finishing the whole thing off with one of my Levenger paper clips and a homemade envelope made from green card stock.

Normally, I'd wait for a letter to arrive in the mailbox of its recipient before posting about it. But my afternoon cheer didn't want to wait to share The Smith Premier Typewriter Co. image with you, dear readers. If vintage letterheads are your thing, the image is now available for download in the Vintage Letterhead Image Archive. I'm pretty proud of this image, it's relatively good quality and I love the company logo of a typewriter atop a sword and plume, with the line, "The pen is mightier than the sword, but the Smith Premier Typewriter bends them both." Plus, that capital "P" is gorgeous.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

A happy St. Patty's day to all you wonderful readers, both those that are Irish and just Irish for today! In celebration of this wonderful day, the Quo Vadis blog is giving away free bottles of J. Herbin green and orange ink, really.

Sláinte (cheers)!

James

Yours Ever: A Book Review & Giveaway

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

Market Watch: Bubbledog Holiday Card Giveaway

Aidan at Bubbledog is hosting a giveaway for a set of six holiday cards (pictured above)! The only requirement for entry is to leave a comment on the giveaway post.

Check it out! The deadline for entries is midnight on November 28.

Old Newspaper Font Download

My apologies for being so selfish. Old Newspaper, the font that won my recent poll for the new Everyday Correspondence header, is available for free download. If you care to use it yourself, you may download Old Newspaper via Fontspace.com.

Enjoy!

GREAT Mail Day

Wednesdays are my days that never home, and I rarely get to open my mailbox till 10 o'clock at night. And yesterday, I really needed an evening pick me up. As luck would have it, it was a great mail day. Along with a package of new stamps, a letter from a pen pal, came a thick envelope from Karen Doherty of Exaclair, the U.S. distributor of all my favorite ink and paper products.


About a week ago, I responded to a post on the Quo Vadis Blog to receive a free Quo Vadis Habana notebook, for the purpose of reviewing it on Everyday Correspondence. Sure enough, that was in the package I received last night... along with a hefty Clairefontaine notebook, a pad of my favorite G. Lalo paper and two bottles of J. Herbin ink, Diabolo Menthe and Vert Reseda. When I opened the package, I ran my hands across all the goodies, as though my fingers were taste buds and the papers were prime rib covered in a delicious au jus.

Once I had taken it all in, I observed that all of the freshly arrived items were green, in one way or another. Then, I remembered reading on the Quo Vadis blog that Clairefontaine had recently changed the ink it uses to rule the paper to a more eco-friendly water-based formula that uses vegetable based pigments. This, to add to Clairefontaine's existing PEFC certification.


In simple terms, to receive PEFC certification, the forest from which the paper pulp was obtained must meet certain standards of sustainability. Oooooh, paper I can feel good about.


Although I look forward to reviewing the Habana notebook, my favorite of Karen's gifts are the pad of G. Lalo Verge de France paper and the J. Herbin inks. Frequent visitors may remember my adoration for the Verge de France line of papers, as I have it in both ivory and pink. But, I had no idea that it came in green! I'm so excited about it that I think I'm going to make a green themed letter in response to the pen pal letter I received yesterday.

Thank you, Karen, for helping to make a good mail day a great mail day.

Everyday Correspondence has no affiliation with Exaclair and the products it distributes. The free Quo Vadis planner featured in this post was given only in exchange for my agreement to review it on this site. All other freebies in this post were given freely and without strings.

Market Watch: Stationery Giveaway!

Melissa over at We Love Snail Mail is having a stationery giveaway! From now until October 25, you can enter to receive one of two envelope and paper sets by commenting on the giveaway blog post.

While you're over there, I'd recommend taking a look around the site, and considering signing up as a member on the site. It's a great way to network and find other people who love creative snail mailing as much as you and I!

Market Watch: Stationery Giveaway Contest

I found this stationery giveaway at the We've Got Paper Etsy store via Jackie at Letter & Journals. The proprietor of the store sells her own designs, many of which I find to be just fantastic. If you're interested, hurry over, as you have until 11:59 PM (not sure which time zone) on October 13 to enter!

I won, I won!

Several weeks ago, I entered a contest for free Bubbledog.com merchandise. And wouldn't you know it, I won! Well, actually, I won third place, the prize for which was a compact mirror with the above ice cream cone and sprinkles design. But, after the proprietor of Bubbledog checked out this site, he offered to send me some free notecards instead!



I quite enjoy the designs, particularly the hamster holding the mushroom and the puppy in the teacup. As a bonus, they're printed in rather high quality on some pretty decent paper. If you like these designs, I suggest that you check out the Bubbledog Etsy store for related items.

I have no affiliation with Bubbledog, I just like free stuff and thought I'd share.

Pairs Well With a Mojito

Apologies for not having a picture of a printed example, but I've posted this wonderful vintage letterhead image in *you guessed it* the vintage letterhead image archive!

Thanks, Karen!

In celebration of Bastille Day on July 14, the Quo Vadis Blog (published by Exaclair) gave away free J. Herbin ink samples in red, white and blue. When I saw a post about it by the Missive Maven, I could hardly believe it. I'm a J. Herbin ink loyalist, and I just about lost it at the opportunity to try another one of their delicious inks.

I ordered a bottle of Eclat de Saphir. And when it arrived, I was ecstatic to discover that the package included a healthy sampling of Exaclair products! Included were a pad of G. Lalo Verge de France paper, along with matching envelopes, a pad of lined Rhodia paper and a Clairefontaine notebook. So... I guess that means I'll be doing some product reviews!

I'd like to give my many thanks to Karen Doherty, Vice President of Marketing at Exaclair, for conducting this giveaway and being so generous with the samples of Exaclair products.

Market Watch: Free Paper Samples

Many individuals with whom I correspond use paper from journals to write on. And after giving it some thought, that makes perfect sense. Journals can offer some really high quality paper at low prices, if you catch them at the right times. This is one of those times, The Journal Shop is giving away free samples of paper from a variety of different notebooks and journals. It's so free, in fact, that they'll even pay the costs of shipping. The only thing The Journal Shop asks in return is that you share your thoughts in comment on their site Simple as that. Now get over there and order away!

I have no affiliation with The Journal Shop, I just happen to like free stuff.

Vintage Letterhead Image Archive

To download images, first click on the desired image to display the image in the highest quality available, then simply right click on them and "Save Image As" whatever you'd like to label it.

I recommend printing these two to a page on letter sized paper, to produce two 5.5" x 8.5" sheets when cut.

Intellectual Property Disclaimer: I do not own any of the below images. I do my best only to post images which I believe were created prior to 1923, published without copyright notice, or were otherwise not in compliance with copyright registration and renewal requirements, placing them in the public domain. If you have information to the contrary, please contact me.

1. Hotel Mecca, Cleveland, Ohio. Originally dated 1920. Postcards printed with this image are now available for purchase at the Correspondence Shop.


2. Robot Salesmen Ltd., Liverpool, England. Original date unknown.


3. Paul's Choice Inks & Mucilage, Jersey City, New Jersey. Original produced during the 1890s. Scanned from an original by We Made This.


4. H.N. Heusner & Son, Inc., Hanover, Pennsylvania. Original production date unknown.


5. E.P. Cone Booksellers, Stationers and General News Dealer, Nashville, Tennessee. Originally printed during the 1890s.


6. Maison Orlhac, Paris France. Original dated 1928.


7. George Bateman & Son Limited Brewing Company. Original production date unkown. Scanned from the original by We Made This.


8. The Musicians' Protective Union, Port Townsend, Washington. Original production date unknown. Many thanks to Julie from Whatever for the great find!


9. The Caldwell Brothers Co. Machinery Merchants, Seattle, Washington. Originally dated Oct. 18, 1907.


10. LaFayette Brewery, Inc., LaFayette, Indiana. Original production date unknown.


11. The Smith Premier Typewriter Co., Syracuse, New York. Original production date circa 1899.

This is my collection of "refurbished" vintage letterheads. They are images that I found on vintage stationary around the web and cleaned up using GIMP digital imaging software. It was all free to me, so I don't see any reason why it shouldn't be free to you.

New images will be posted as the letterheads are featured on Everyday Correspondence. Make sure to bookmark this page, or better yet, subscribe to Everyday Correspondence, to get word when new images are added to the archive.

For more free vintage imagery, I recommend the following sites:

Just Something I Made (vintage images)

The Blah, Blah, Blahg (mailing labels/address boxes and vintage-esq images)

Tammy Tutterow (vintage images of paper goods, i.e. forms, book pages)

Letter Writers Alliance (printable V-Mail stationery download)

LetterHeady (great archive of original scan vintage letterheads)

I would also like to give a shout out to The Zoey Blog. Inspired by the Everyday Correspondence Vintage Letterhead Image Archive, the authors of the blog made their very own family letterhead, and it's stupendous.

Updated 03.10.12

Drool-Worthy Pen Catalog

I have no affiliation with Fountain Pen Hospital, but as a fountain pen enthusiast, I did request one of their catalogs. As it turns out, it's a beautiful volume, deserving of a place on my coffee table.

There are 90 thick, glossy pages of beautiful fountain pens.

Out of pure coincidence, the pens I find to be most attractive all happen to be from German brands: Lamy, Pelikan, Faber Castell, Reform and my favorite, Graf von Faber Castell. Curiously enough, although I love the aforementioned brands, I don't own a pen from any of them. Maybe in time, when my budget will allow.


At the moment, my collection of fountain pens (which I use to write my correspondence) is heavy on American made pens such as: Parker, Cross and Esterbrook.

If you're in the marker for fountain pens, or if, like me, you just enjoy high quality window shopping, I suggest you order this catalog. You can request a free catalog on the Fountain Pen Hospital website by clicking the "free catalog" button next to the header on their website.