Why the interest in letter writing?

As I read articles that are of interest to me or this blog, I sometimes wonder, "Why am I so interested in letter writing?"

But, I don't really know the answer to that question. Part of it probably has to do with my interest in "old" things. I love to collect vintage or antique things. My kitchen is decorated with vintage kitchen utensils, cookie cutters, red-handled spoons and ladles and such. At Christmas, I decorate with vintage ornaments and Santas, some of which are old and some that just look old. I can't pass up a vintage or antique magazine or book. Somewhere in the back of my mind are thoughts that seem to range from "If I don't love this, who will?" to "Surely there's a use for this."

We often cook from scratch at our house, making our own bread (sure, we use a bread machine, but...still...), canning hot sauce, growing and drying herbs, etc. We even like to sew — by hand and by machine — but we don't always have enough time for that.

I don't just like the writing part of letter writing. I enjoy using a fountain pen, decorating the paper with rubber stamps, putting a wax seal on the back of the envelope, etc.

A fellow letter writer sent me a postcard, on which he wrote that he likes my blog but finds it ironic that I blog about old-fasioned paper and ink mail. I don't think it's so much ironic. Now, if I sent everyone e-mails saying they should write me letters...that would be ironic. I see this blog, and all the other letter writing blogs, as simply using one means of communication to discuss another form of communication.

I do see that e-mail, cell phones, texting, etc. may well be the death of letter writing, but I doubt blogging will affect correspondence much.

I wonder about the future of letter writing. I was a "Star Trek: Next Generation" fan...I can't remember Starship Enterprise inhabitants writing with pen and paper. Even as far back as the first "Star Wars" movie, I suppose the writers had written off hand-written communications.

So, why cling to it? I don't know. Doing away with pen and paper correspondence seems like we're losing a big part of our culture, our history.

It's something to ponder, anyway.

Who paid the postage?

There's an interesting bit of postal history detailed on the HMS Richmond Web site, dedicated to the historical re-creation of a British ship's company from the American War for Independence time period (18th century).

According to the section of the Web site titled "Letter Writing Style of 1775," at that time, the recipient paid the postage due and the amount of postage was based on the number of sheets of paper in the letter.

I guess the friends and family of those of us who can be a bit long-winded in our letter writing are happy that this practice has changed. Fortunately for those with a lot to say, mailing a letter today is quite economical.

Now, go write a letter!

...the only pleasure I now see is in perusing your very precious letters. . . .

The title of this post is excerpted from a letter written by Confederate Lieutenant William Steele to his sweetheart, Annie McFarland, in December 1864.

I found the letter on the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum's Web site. The Web site is quite fascinating and has information about the museum's permanent exhibits in Washington D.C., as well as about online exhibits on topics such as "The Art of the Stamp" and the devoted mail clerks aboard the Titanic.

The "War Letters: Lost and Found" online exhibit features letters that were lost or discarded by the original recipients. According to the Web site, the letters were found by strangers, recovered from the trash, yard sales, construction sites or former homes and were forwarded to the Legacy Project. The exhibit, which was originally on view at the museum from 2005 to 2006, copies of letters from the Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.

If you're interested in letter writing, stamp collecting or U.S. history, the National Postal Museum Web site is worth visiting, as, I'm sure, is the museum itself.