Notes by PAPER & TYPE

A new book, Letters from Hollywood, offers an insightful (and delightful) peek into the lives of Old Hollywood’s Bergman, Hepburn, Fonda, McDaniel, and others via their written communication. We are very excited to get a hold of this title and get lost in its pages!

These cigarette cards were shared with me by Susan Farnsworth, a fellow letter-writing and stationery enthusiast. During a stop at a flea market in Retford, England last summer, Susan found the vintage cards, collected into protective pocket pages, like those you’d see used with baseball trading cards.

Cigarette cards were created in the U.S. around the mid-1800s. The cards were a way to simply stiffen cigarette packaging, and were blank at first, then started to carry advertisements (a businessman’s idea, of course).

By the 1890s, cigarette cards were presented as parts of series. It was a UK-based tobacco company that presented one of the first general interest sets. Subjects ranged from city monuments, flora and fauna, and military uniforms to film stars, athletes, and heroic figures. These thematic sets were issued in runs of 25, 50, and more. This encouraged customer loyalty as cigarette card collecting was popularized.

The cigarette cards that Susan found featured full-color, illustrated wild flowers. In my hands I have 18 of the 48 in this series, which was issued in 1939 by Gallaher Ltd. of the UK. The cards were carefully organized into the two pocket pages by color—pinks and blues on the first page, creams and yellows on the second. It brings a smile to wonder about the collector of these.

Last month on Presidents Day, the U.S. Postal Service dedicated a Forever stamp in honor of President John F. Kennedy. The new stamp features a photograph taken during his presidential campaign in 1960. The commemoration marks the 100th anniversary of JFK's birthday.

JFK was given this honor twice before. The first was with a 5¢ stamp, issued on what would have been his 47th birthday in May 1964. Featuring JFK's portrait alongside a depiction of the eternal flame—and with a fitting line from his inaugural address, "and the glow from that fire can truly light the world"—the design was personally approved by his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy.

The 13¢ stamp was released in May 1967. It honored JFK as part of the Prominent Americans Series, which recognizes important individuals in U.S. history.

John F. Kennedy served as the 35th President of the United States from 1961 until his assassination in November 1963.  

National Letter Writing Month is only a couple weeks away. This year, the Write_On Campaign is inviting you to pay what you can for their awesome, amazing, annual letter-writing kit. Each kit contains 6 cards and envelopes, a sheet of stickers, a Gelly Roll pen, plus a sheet to track 30 days of letters.

My dear friend Bruce Chan commissioned these losangelesbeautiful cards. As he prepared to move to Pittsburgh, the cards provided a way for him to share his appreciation for Los Angeles and the community he had fostered here.

losangelesbeautiful was created in the spirit of the City Beautiful movement. An architecture and urban planning philosophy of the 1890s, City Beautiful was a response to rapid urbanization. It sought to create livable and inspiring cities through intentional planning, grand parks, and open spaces.

losangelesbeautiful honors this city’s history (flaws and all), environment (natural and built), and people (diverse and incredible).

At this moment, many in our community are newly threatened in ways large and small. losangelesbeautiful stands with them.

All proceeds from these cards will be donated to the ACLU.

There are 100 available and you are invited to pay what you wish.

We believe in #losangelesbeautiful.

. . .

This edition of losangelesbeautiful letterpress cards will be available this weekend at Modern Artisan Marketplace and online shortly after.

The time to see poppies has arrived! The Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve is open, sunrise to sunset, through mid-May. It's been a few years since I've visited, and I look forward to seeing the blooms now after these hardy winter rains.

Note: Flower picking not permitted at the poppy reserve.

While thumbing through The Practical Book of Outdoor Flowers, this time I found the name card of a Mr. Whiton tucked among the old pages. It was only 1 by 2.5 inches, with the name printed in a simple and lovely script. The card was written over in careful cursive, to amend the "Mr." to be "Mr. + Mrs.," and to add details of their child's christening.  

With regards to name cards, I always think back to Laura Ingalls Wilder. It was through her book, Little Town on the Prairie, that I first learned of name cards, about their irresistible appeal and the practice of exchanging them. Among the teenagers of the time, autograph books were signed and name cards were swapped. Laura considered the cards to be a bit of a luxury, and only after careful thought—and her Pa's gentle generosity—did she decide to purchase some for herself (25¢ for a dozen). Indeed, it feels really special to have a set of personalized stationery!

By the way, out of curiosity, I did a search for Mr. Whiton. It turns out he won a couple Olympic gold medals for sailing, back in 1948 and 1952. Oh, the internet!

This March I'll be taking part in Modern Artisan Marketplace, a new bi-annual pop-up featuring local brands and workshops. This weekend-long, outdoor pop-up will debut at Platform, a collection of food and retail in a modern architectural setting (check out Poketo in its new corner storefront!). 

MODERN ARTISAN MARKETPLACE Saturday, March 11 (10a–5p) & Sunday, March 12 (10a–4p) Free to attend Look for Paper & Type near Aesop

This weekend I have the pleasure of participating in an event curated by dear Satsuki Shibuya. Alongside Amelia Haru, Matchbox Kitchen, The Good Hippie, and Rami Kim, I'll be there with paper goods—old favorites and new—to accompany you as you embark on your new year.

In addition to the market, you'll have a chance to see Satsuki demonstrate her beautiful art. You can start off your afternoon with a Breath & Intention Workshop by Ashley Neese, and stay for a thoughtful discussion panel featuring Chelsea Sonksen (bossladies magazine), Jessica Comingore (The Elysian Edit), Shi Jun NG (The Assembly), and Chelsea Neman (Tappan Collective).

Space 15 Twenty is located in Hollywood at 1520 N. Cahuenga (map).

I'm pleased to share that Little Notes can now be found at one of my favorite stores: Anthropologie!

It's fun to think how Little Notes will reach the hands of an audience beyond my petite graphic design co. When I set out to design them a few years ago, I was inspired by forms and vintage fill-in-the-blank postcards. I wanted these cards to include only enough words to ease any writer's block and help make correspondence a joy, to nudge impromptu note-writing.

Since then, Little Notes have become a Paper & Type staple. I've loved hearing from customers about their intentions with these cards, ranging from writing end-of-year notes to colleagues, to asking someone out on a date!

Hello, 2017!

The experience of looking back on a year feels all at once so strange, amazing, and eye-opening. And these days a year can be summarized through a series of images within only a matter of moments! Flowers and little envelopes were the favorites of 2016. I do hope to continue sharing more of these (plus some new work!) this year.

3191 is a number I've come to connect with intention and light. Glimpses of now-familiar windowsills and kitchen sinks, dining rooms at breakfast time and dusk, trusty recipes and growing families. 

Artists Maria Alexandra Vettese and Stephanie Congdon Barnes have long been preserving scenes like these. Over the years and across the distance between two Portlands, MAV and SCB would share photographs of their unfolding friendship, their art and quiet moments, on 3191 Miles Apart. I had happened upon their project early on through MAV, when my burgeoning interest in letterpress prints led me to port2port press. Since then the form of 3191 Miles Apart has evolved, and has become books and quarterlies, all the while remaining true to the thoughtful perspectives of its authors.

In A Year Between Friends, MAV and SCB chronicle their friendship and lives through diptychs (of course!), letters, and treasured rituals. I smiled and cried and chuckled as I followed along, learning of how traditions and newness touched both of their lives with each passing month of 2015.

The book also includes some tried-and-true items from further back: I was delighted to discover my favorite sweet potato biscuits recipe of SCB's here, and MAV's rules for a closet clear-out that's become my go-to each spring. I've filled my copy with post-its, noting new projects to try and comforting thoughts I wish to keep close.

Thank you, Maria and Stephanie, for sharing your serene light and having me along all this time. What a gift. Warmest hugs and cheers to you both! xo

The tropical wedding stationery for Caroline and Alastair appears as part of collected seaside inspiration in BRIDES. Though we're mid-Autumn here, it is still summer in St. Barth...