Tag Archives for handwritten

140 Years of Dempsey & Carroll

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.

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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.

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The impression of the handwritten note on the finest engraved paper has never been more meaningful.

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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

National Letter Writing Month 2018

There are countless reasons to send a well crafted letter, whether it’s pages long or just a quick note. In celebration of April being National Letter Writing Month, we wanted to share a few reasons to pick up a pen and write!

 

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Congratulate someone on their new home

 

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Thank someone for great cocktails at a much needed Happy Hour

 

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Reminisce about a recent road trip with friends

 

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Remind someone that you’re thinking of them

 

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Write a love letter

 

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Wish someone good luck on their upcoming audition

 

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Send a letter from a new city in a foreign language

 

How are you getting inspired to write during National Letter Writing Month? Use the #writeitreal hashtag and tag @dempseycarroll on Instagram to share your letter writing inspiration with us!

Write it Real

We’ve always thought that an important part of writing a well-crafted letter begins with the space that you’re in–from coffee shop corners to cozy places at home.

As winter came to a close, we partnered with five lifestyle influencers to share how they like to write it real.  First, our partners started off by sharing photos of them in their favorite writing spaces along with reasons why they love to write.  The following week, our partners posted photos that featured handwritten lists on their favorite Dempsey & Carroll stationery of where they wish to visit and write from this year.

We hope that our friends’ posts inspire you to share your own writing adventures with us in 2018! #writeitreal

Beth and Danielle, @palmbeachlately

Favorite Place to Write: The beautiful Town Square Park in Palm Beach

Favorite Stationery: Jet Set: Paris

Where they hope to write from this year: Paris, Positano, Nantucket

Janelle Ho, @yay.janelle

Favorite Place to Write: Cozy NYC coffee shops like Toby’s Estate

Favorite Stationery: Jet Set: New York

Where she hopes to write from this year: Morocco, Peru, New Zealand

Caroline Bramlett, @lcbstyle

Favorite Place to Write: Her inspiration corner at home in Birmingam, Alabama

Favorite Stationery: The Maryn x Caitlin McGauley

Where she hopes to write from this year: Palm Beach, Nantucket, Capri

Kim Nyguyen, @kimmyn_

Favorite Place to Write: One of her favorite coffee shops in Boston, Tatte Bakery and Café

Favorite Stationery: The Initial Note Write Away Collection

Where she hopes to write from this year: Austria, Paris, Denmark

Maggie Tate, @blushandblooms

Favorite Place to Write: The inspiring Cadillac House in Manhattan

Favorite Stationery: Jet Set: Paris

Where she hopes to write from this year: Paris, Charleston, London

From Dempsey, With Love

Imagine a time before it was possible to instantly connect with somebody across the country (or world) with text messages and emails.

Your letter gave me more delight than anything in the world but yourself could do; indeed, I am almost astonished that any absent one should have that luxurious power over my senses which I feel. Even when I am not thinking of you I receive your influence and a tenderer nature stealing upon me.

– John Keats to Fanny Brawne, 1819 (from “Love”)

In 1883, Messrs. Dempsey & Carroll published “Love,” a collection of love letters and sentiments from the ages. In the 14 days leading up to Valentine’s Day, we’ve been sharing some of our favorite excerpts from these historic words as a way to inspire others to put pen to paper and send the love. In our opinion, a handwritten letter will always be the most meaningful way to express deep feelings of affection.

We would love to hear more about some of your favorite love letters or Valentines. Perhaps you have a favorite quote from a famous (or not so famous) love letter that you’d like to share, or maybe you’ve written a love letter to a special person or place (we’ve written plenty of love letters to New York City, our cherished home, over the years).

Share with us on Instagram by either Direct Messaging @dempseycarroll or by posting a photo on your feed and tagging us and using the #fromdempseywithlove hashtag. We’ll be sending the first 10 submissions a card from our Love Notes Collection so that you can send the love in style this Valentine’s Day!

From Dempsey, With Love

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Destination 2018

As we celebrated the holiday season and closed out 2017, we worked with five fantastic lifestyle influencers to share their holiday traditions and New Year’s resolutions through handwritten notes.

First, our partners started off by sharing their holiday traditions on one of our newest collections – our Home for the Holidays: City holiday cards. We loved seeing how everyone celebrates the holiday season each year and the sense of connectedness to family and loved ones.

A few days later, in anticipation of New Year’s Day, our partners posted a selection of photos featuring their goals and resolutions for 2018.

We’re excited to share our friends’ posts with you – after all, it’s a new year, let’s start it on a new note!

… Here’s to a fantastic year ahead.

 

Jackie Greaney

@jackiegreaney moved to a new home in 2017, but her old traditions of bourbon milk punch & cookies for neighbors and handwritten holiday cards continued on. Jackie used our collaboration with The Maryn to jot down her 2018 goal of doing more international travel (preferably to someplace warm)!

 

Beth and Danielle, Palm Beach Lately

Christmastime in NYC holds special memories for @palmbeachlately because Danielle and her husband got engaged here during the holiday season. Beth and Danielle chose our Palm Beach Collection: Everglades Island set to share their 2018 goal of finding more ways to spread the Palm Beach sunshine!

 

Meghan Murray

@meghanmurray’s favorite holiday traditions include enjoying tea and cookies while staying cozy and writing Christmas cards to friends. Meghan shared that she hopes to have a new year filled with lots of great food (and champagne, of course) and travel adventures. Our Jet Set: Paris cards surely set the tone for a travel-filled 2018!

 

Carissa Burton

@carissa_burton shared a few of the wonderful Christmas traditions in her family, like singing Christmas carols by the fire with eggnog and gathering in the kitchen to decorate sugar cookies. Carissa used our Palm Beach: Tarpon Island cards to write down her dreams for 2018, like committing to unplug for a bit each day and giving back to the community.

 

Andrea Nunez

@andreannu spent her first holiday season in New York and was able to experience the magic of the Rockefeller Center tree and all of the festivities around the city. Her first holiday season away from home prompted a new tradition of sending handwritten notes back home to her family and loved ones overseas. Andrea then used our Jet Set: New York cards to create a bucket list for all of the new places in and around New York City that she’d like visit in 2018!

For the Love of Script: The Importance of Teaching Cursive Writing in Schools

Dempsey & Carroll’s Austin Ackles shares his thoughts on the importance of script and how cursive writing should always be taught in schools.

I know there’s a lot of debate about teaching cursive writing in schools, but studies have shown that when notes are taken by hand (versus notes typed into a device), the information is much better retained. Furthermore, writing in cursive is fast and efficient, while block printing tends to take more time.

I can’t imagine someone not having a cursive signature. Though digital signatures are now legally binding when necessary, something important like a condolence letter should always be handwritten and sent through the post. A Facebook message or email is never acceptable for serious, life changing matters.

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When I was searching for my last two jobs, I would apply electronically and then send a printed hard copy in the mail. I know that the electronic applications to several companies were completely overlooked while the printed ones got me in the door. At the bottom of those printed cover letters, you must have a cursive signature to finish it off. Following a job interview, a handwritten thank you note will be noticed and remembered far longer than an email.

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Dempsey & Carroll always gets busy in the early fall with parents ordering engraved correspondence cards for their children. It’s school application time and those kids will all be following up with handwritten thank you notes after interviews. Cursive writing is a must if you’re looking to impress admissions at prestigious schools.

reply-card-1.jpgWhile a few of our clients do send digital save the dates, everyone sends a printed wedding invitation. As the recipient, you will need to send back a reply card, and a cursive signature is going to look very appropriate after that “M” prompt on many R.S.V.P cards.

 

 

If my child’s school did not teach cursive writing, I would teach it to her myself. Good social skills and dexterity never go out of fashion!

 

 

Vintage Valentine’s Day Greetings

The roots of Valentine’s Day can be traced back to Ancient Rome, though the modern incarnation of the Holiday didn’t begin until the turn of the 19th century.This article in Town & Country Magazine illustrates a brief history of how Valentine’s Day has evolved and why the tradition of sending greeting cards has become a fixture of the season.

We love looking back at vintage Valentine’s Day cards from the 19th and 20th centuries to see changing trends. Many of the bold illustrations and puns of the past have given way to more subtle designs, though we can’t help but smile when we look at how people have expressed their love through the ages.

The Yacht signals of love
First Bank of Love
We should be well matched
The Queen of every hand
A St. Valentine’s Greeting
“V” is for Valentine
I’ll never shake you, my Valentine
“Please be my Queen of Hearts”
From New York, with love
In a “flash”
A token of love
“I’d be De-Lighted to go out with you”
“I cannot wait”

Please feel free to share some of your favorite Valentine’s Day cards that you have received over the years and tag us on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook.

National Handwriting Day 2017

Our handwriting’s just one of the many facets of ourselves.

January 23rd is officially known as “National Handwriting Day” as it falls on the birthday of John Hancock, the first person to sign The Declaration of Independence. The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association started this holiday in 1977 to acknowledge the history of penmanship and to recognize the importance of handwritten notes.

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We continue to celebrate the art of the handwritten note and the individuality of each person’s handwriting. We hope that this holiday inspires you to put pen to paper and join the tradition! We’ve included a few of our favorite quotes about writing below, though we look forward to hearing from our followers as well.

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“And the idea of just wandering off to a cafe with a notebook and writing and seeing where that takes me for awhile is just bliss.” – J. K. Rowling

“Writing, to me, is simply thinking through my fingers.” – Isaac Asimov

“True ease in writing comes from art, not chance, as those who move easiest have learned to dance.” – Alexander Pope

 “Writing gives a sort of immortality to all other things.” -Richard Herring

“My two fingers on a typewriter have never connected with my brain. My hand on a pen does. A fountain pen, of course.” – Graham Greene 

Please feel free to share your handwritten notes on social media by tagging @dempseycarroll on instagram or twitter and using the #NationalHandwritingDay hashtag to celebrate with us.

Letter Writing Day 2016

The art of the handwritten note is something that we have cherished here at Dempsey & Carroll since our founding in 1878. In celebration of December 7th being declared “Letter Writing Day”, we wanted to share our thoughts on what inspires us to write letters.

Megan: “To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”  – Phyllis Theroux width=

Carolyn: I love seeing other people’s handwriting! It’s your very own style–no one else can write the same way–To me, that’s one of the coolest things ever!

Austin: Perhaps my favorite thing about receiving a handwritten note comes years later when looking through a shoe box filled with them and having a special moment come back alive.

Ariel: I have always cherished the art of the handwritten note as it serves as a means to make sentiments tangible. Every letter I receive serves as a keepsake that I will forever appreciate.

Emma: There’s a wonderful quote by Haruki Murakami that speaks to my love of the handwritten note: “How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen,
to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous.”

Umara: For my contribution, I join Megan in citing the wise words of Phyllis Theroux: “To send a letter is a good way to go somewhere without moving anything but your heart.” In a day and age where technology has taken over and everything is done instantly, the art of taking the time to write a letter is something that really does require deep thought and care from one’s heart.

Marina: Hand writing letters brings back some of the fondest memories of my childhood. I loved sitting at the dining room table with my mother, eating snacks while she wrote letters to our friends and family overseas while we discussed what to write.

Chandra: With all of the alternative forms of communication that exist today, it’s easy to think that letter writing may eventually become a lost art. On account of that, I’ve found the significance of written correspondence has increased, becoming that much more unique, genuine, beautiful and appreciated.

Leo: My father and I spent an afternoon in the store selecting these note cards for him. It was great fun not least because they suit him perfectly and were hardly a first choice. Notes from him on these cards will always remind me how much I admire him.leo

We now invite you to reflect upon your favorite things about handwritten notes. Please feel free to share your own anecdotes with us on social media and be sure to tag our accounts!

Instagram: @dempseycarroll

Twitter: @dempseycarroll

Facebook Page: Dempsey & Carroll

Spotlight on Marcardin Calligraphy

We sat down with Heather Brock of Marcardin Calligraphy to talk about her beginnings as a calligrapher and how she became inspired to start her own company. 

Q: “Marcardin” is such a unique name. Can you please tell us the significance of why you chose that name for your company?

HB: The name Marcardin is very dear to me because it is the name of an old family estate located in Shelbyville, Kentucky that belonged to us for over 150 years. Much like other homes and farms of that era, the estate was named by its builder, Mark Hardin. Fast forward to the early 1990s and my family was faced with the tough decision to sell it [Marcardin Farms] once my Great Aunt passed away. Most of the family memorabilia was kept in the attic; old letters and notes penned by ancestors, including those from my great uncle Mark Hardin, dated back to around 1856. All of the letters feature beautiful pen and ink calligraphy, and as an adult, the penmanship is my favorite thing to exist from that attic. I’m very fortunate to have such richly documented family history to reflect on. Marcardin, which was once known as Marcardin Farms, is now calligraphy for me.

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Mark Hardin’s Handwriting

Q: When did you first learn calligraphy and how did you know that you wanted to do it as a career?

HB: I was probably 10 or 11 when I picked up any sort of calligraphy pen for the very first time. I remember mastering (or so I thought I did) any instructional books I could get my hands on, but I moved on with other art mediums as I grew up. In my 20s I decided to pick up a pen again to learn the refined skill of pointed pen calligraphy in hopes to address my own wedding envelopes some day. When I realized how therapeutic it was to put pen to paper, I knew it was something I wanted to pursue for a long time to come.

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An envelope addressed to Marcardin Estate 

Q: How long have you been based in Kentucky? Do you have a wide client base in your area, or does most of your clientele hail from elsewhere? 

HB: I was born and raised (and still reside) in Louisville, Kentucky, so I’ve always stayed put. I am very fortunate to work with some of the absolute best wedding planners and designers in the city and state, so I do get a lot of referrals through them. I also serve nationwide, working with some stationers out of New York City and Los Angeles.

Q: We see that you offer a variety of calligraphy styles for your services. Do you think that there is an even split between interest in more traditional styles versus a more modern look? img_5198

HB: I would say nine times out of ten, my clients choose my Signature style. It’s definitely more modern, but it still gives that flourished feel that can be found in some traditional styles. I’m definitely more of a modern calligrapher; traditional calligraphy, such as Spencerian and Copperplate, can take decades to master. I certainly envy my calligraphy colleagues across the world who have the patience and skill set to achieve those writing principles.

Q: You have done beautiful work on everything from outer and inner envelopes, to escort cards and menus. How do you ensure that your pieces reflect overall aesthetic of the event?
img_0083HB: I love when I’m able to help design an entire invitation suite, so it can be printed or pressed in every which way. I like to start with my bride’s ideas of what she is thinking by getting inspiration photos from her. I’ll go through my series of questions which can turn into a few different pencil sketches before I put ink to paper. I then send my work to my go-to designer to do all the digitizing for me. From there, we meet to make sure everything is set perfectly for print.

 

 

Q: We were thrilled to work with you on pieces for a Dempsey & Carroll wedding recently. How did you first hear about Dempsey & Carroll? 

HB: I was so excited to finally get my chance to calligraph the beautiful paper from Dempsey & Carroll. I’ve seen it [Dempsey & Carroll’s paper] in many areas of the wedding industry, and have always heard great reviews from other calligraphers. The paper is exquisite and I am in love with everything from the texture to the watermark logo– It’s hands down my favorite to write on.

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Heather’s work for a recent Dempsey & Carroll wedding