135 years ago today, John Dempsey, a talented engraver, and George Carroll, a savvy businessman, collaborated in the founding of a company that would not only provide its clients with luxury writing papers but also offer advice on etiquette and proper decorum in a variety of social settings.

Today, we are proud to be a part of the history of this wonderful brand with deep roots in American tradition.  What an honor and responsibility to continue and enhance this legacy in the new millennium!

Nine years ago I was lucky to be part of a team of investors who purchased the assets of this storied, but at the time temporarily suspended, brand.  Our first order of business was reconnecting with our customers and getting our production up and running so we could serve them.   We did this quickly and were fully operational within a month of closing on the purchase.

Today, we continue to grow rapidly – working with new clients every day, adding designer collaborations, expanding with new retail partners and continuing to provide the highest level of client service with the finest engraving and most luxurious papers.

Our staff is dedicated, hardworking and in love with fine papers and the written word.  As we all connect more and more through email and social media, the impact and power of a handwritten note has never been stronger. Our mission is to continue this tradition and make it even more special for our clients and their colleagues, friends and families.

While our chapter in the Dempsey & Carroll history represents less than 10% of its total legacy, we take our mandate seriously – Dempsey & Carroll, made in America, is a brand and a company that will continue to flourish for generations to come. The impression of the handwritten note on the finest engraved paper has never been more powerful or meaningful.

We thank you for being a part of our history to date and we invite you to continue this long standing tradition with us for many years to come.

Lauren Marrus

Traditional and old-fashioned as it may be to some, the cost, time, and thought involved in writing a handwritten note always add a touch of luxury to your message.

From the Harvard Business Review:

Personal written notes grow rarer by the day. But if you want to convey to a client, a potential customer, a colleague, or a direct report that you value your relationship, put down the Blackberry and reach for a pen. Emails, tweets, texts, or Facebook messages are easy to write and free to send. Handwritten notes mean more because they cost more. Drafting an actual letter involves selecting stationery, paying for stamps, and visiting a mailbox. They let the people know you appreciate them enough to pause for 15 minutes and put pen to paper in an attempt to connect and sustain a relationship with them.

from: http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2013/04/handwritten_notes_are_a_rare_c.html

We love this piece written by Michael Gerson-

Eventually, the cosmologists assure us, our sun and all suns will consume their fuel, violently explode and then become cold and dark. Matter itself will evaporate into the void and the universe will become desolate for the rest of time.

This was the general drift of my thoughts as my wife and I dropped off my eldest son as a freshman at college. I put on my best face. But it is the worst thing that time has done to me so far. That moment at the dorm is implied at the kindergarten door, at the gates of summer camp, at every ritual of parting and independence. But it comes as surprising as a thief, taking what you value most.

The emotions of a parent, I can attest, are an odd mix: part pride, part resignation, part self-pity, even a bit of something that feels like grief. The experience is natural and common. And still planets are thrown off their axes.

Read the rest here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/michael-gerson-saying-goodbye-to-my-child-the-youngster/2013/08/19/6337802e-08dd-11e3-8974-f97ab3b3c677_story.html

While living abroad, Vincent Van Gogh wrote frequent letters to his younger brother Theo. The two were very close, and the letters have provided great insight into the thoughts and beliefs of the artist. Below is one of the 600+ letters Vincent wrote, on this day in 1878.

Your loving brother

There is some sort of unspoken rite of passage that occurs between the ages of 30 and 40. No one talks about it or really acknowledges it but from my observations (yes I can admit I’m over 40), it’s a universal truth. Life starts happening to and around you in a very real way.

If you’ve been fortunate enough to experience a trouble free existence up until your thirties, reality can hit you surprisingly hard. Tragedy can strike as easily as triumph. You can find you have a child on the way, a new puppy, a friend in need, a parent who is sick, or financial uncertainty, and it all happens at once. Through all of this you realize communication – sharing an honest emotion – is priceless.

Like most people who work I receive and send an unseemly number of emails and text messages at equally unseemly hours of the day, every day. They come in and go out at a feverish pace. Curiously I’ve also never written as many hand-written notes as I have over the past several years. I use to only write thank you notes. I now find that I write notes more often than not to acknowledge tragedies and triumphs simply because I care.

I find my hand-written notes require a down shift, a quiet moment to give the recipient a little piece of my heart and mind. Each note is truly a gift – written, stuffed, sealed and stamped with sincerity and sent along with the hope that the words will actually make a smile.

Jennifer Pool

We were delighted to run across these letters! Click the photo to view the others.

“Found by a wife, 25 years after her husbands death.”