From Frida to Diego, Virginia to Vita, Oscar to Alfred – some of the greatest romances in history have been spared extinction thanks to the letters they shared. Famous in one family tree and equally as valuable, another set of letters has been preserved for future branches to grow from and admire.
This project was a gift on many levels. Initiated by a client on behalf of her husband who was the sole holder of his family’s vast collection of photos, memorabilia, and letters, and who has five other siblings interested in sharing it. My client’s mother-in-law had done a wonderful job of saving, labeling and dating her collection which included the devoted correspondence of her father and mother while he was away during World War II and she a young girl.
My client took the initiative to start the process of scanning and archiving everything with Doorstep Digital. Designing the book was straightforward in nature and it was fun to utilize the large assortment of saved stamps, as well as the few photos from the time frame of the letters.
The book was produced through Shutterfly utilizing their lay-flat pages, making the finished book sturdy. It was completed and delivered in time for Christmas and received with grateful tears.
I look forward to working over my own family’s collection of letters soon. Particularly my Grandfather’s letters to his parents when he left for the Navy, and my father’s to his parents when he followed suit. The details written in letters are often not the same shared in conversation, so I find letters to reveal much more than the stories shared through the years.
The minutiae of daily life takes on a meditative quality for both reader and author. Patience is required to collect thoughts and practice cursive, and that patience is transferred when the receiver sits with these thoughts, slowly interpreting another’s penmanship. A shared experience in different times and separate worlds, letters become lasting gestures of love and friendship.
In an attempt to temper the tyranny of time, may I offer – write a letter. Your efforts will not be lost on the receiver. Or those who find your letters generations later.