In honor of Dempsey & Carroll’s 140th Birthday, our CEO, Lauren Marrus, wanted to share a few words on how we are continuing the legacy of our founders while making traditions modern. Cheers to 140 years!
140 years ago today, two men, John Dempsey, a talented engraver, and George Carroll, a savvy businessman came together to found Dempsey & Carroll. Their mission still remains at the core of our business today: to provide luxury writing papers along with advice on etiquette and proper decorum in a variety of social settings. To the founders, the social institutions of correspondence and etiquette were inseparable, and they saw Dempsey & Carroll as the ideal marriage of the two.
Today, we celebrate both how far the business has come in these 140 years, and how dedicated we remain to our craft – many of our presses from the early 20th century are still in use today. And, while, we are no longer on 14th Street in Union Square, we still call New York City our home.
Our team today uses the core values that John Dempsey and George Carroll put in place over fourteen decades ago to work together with our clients to make traditions modern. The calling cards of John Dempsey and George Carroll’s time meant to announce a visitor are now used to share Instagram handles.
Formal dinners, once a regular event, are now more relaxed and seating arrangements and place cards are more about lively conversation and table adornment than matchmaking and social status.
The impression of the handwritten note on the finest engraved paper has never been more meaningful.
We thank you for being a part of our history and we invite you to join us in making traditions modern for many years to come.
— Lauren Marrus, CEO of Dempsey & Carroll