In January of 1990, Nelson Mandela wrote his last journal entries while being imprisoned. This journal entry above is the last archived note that exists. It was written in a place called Victor Verster Prison, a transfer facility between ‘imprisonment and freedom” (abc.net.au). While sitting in literal limbo, Mandela’s mind was occupied with the …

Mr. Mandela wrote the letter above to his wife, Winnie, on February 4th, 1969 from prison. He had recently learned of some alarming health issues that Winnie had been experiencing. Although they have been separated physically for years, his profound, unwavering love for her shines through when he writes, “of the talents you possess, the …

The Former South African President, Nelson Mandela, passed away yesterday at the age of 95. The world is mourning a man who was a fearless global hero for equality and South Africa is mourning the loss of “a father.” Mandela was a beautiful correspondent, and as a tribute to him we will be posting letters …

Jervis McEntee, an American painter in the mid-nineteenth century, left an enduring legacy with his incredibly detailed journal entries and letters. Through the archives of his handwritten pages, historians have been able to create a vibrant and accurate understanding of what the life of a New York City painter was like during the socially boisterous …

For November 6th’s ‘in 1878’ fact, we found that Raymond Asquith, the eldest son of the British Prime Minister, H.H. Asquith, was born. Raymond was part of the team that investigated the sinking of the Titanic (Wikipedia). We were intrigued and couldn’t help ourselves with doing a little investigating about the letters that were sent …

We always hear that doctors have the worst hand-writing, and you can’t read anything they write, especially their prescriptions. However, this wasn’t always the case. I work for one of the oldest medical societies in America, The Medical and Chirurgical Faculty of Maryland, having been established in 1799. Back then, good handwriting was a point …

Apples, cinnamon, pumpkin, pies ….turkeys… Fall comes with some of the year’s tastiest delights. Our new pumpkin placecard wanted some new friends to help decorate dinner tables with, so here are some of our favorite recipes:

We’re big fans of the color purple here at Dempsey & Carroll. Purple ink on correspondence cards are still pretty rare, so it’s nice to come across them between the more standard colors like black or regent blue. Plus they look especially beautiful on our white, ecru, or gray paper: Colin Cowie Celebrations show how …