This morning, Jeff and I were wondering how the Victorian letter folding was done. In many of the Jane Austen-era movies, we see enchantingly folded letters (no envelopes) and sealed with wax. I checked a book recently given to me, What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, which included no instructions. However, I was not surprised to read that Jane Austen was an adept letter folder:
In those days there was an art in folding and sealing. No adhesive envelopes made all easy. Some people’s letters always looked loose and untidy; but her paper was sure to take the right folds, and her sealing-wax to drop into the right place. ~ from a memoir by Jane Austen’s nephew, 1870
I found very good instructions for letter folding (and envelopes, too) on the internet. I did the basic and hem-catch folds easily following the well-done illustrations. I printed off a few of the letter folding styles for the kids to try today. I think they’ll enjoy that during this week off school.
Hey,
I know how to fold those letters. When I was a child we used to pass notes that we folded like that. Later, when I worked as an historical interpreter I learned several other types of folds. Lots of fun! I found a lot of wax sticks and a brass alcohol burner at a yard sale last summer. Now I need to get myself some stamps and my victorian letters will be complete.
I have that book!
I wonder what kind of fun you will think up for your little ones?
Love
Sylvia
How cool, Sylvia! You know about everything old fashioned!
We haven’t had any fun with letters yet. So far, the kids aren’t as excited about it as I was.
I’m trying to think of a way to make it more fun than just folding paper. But now we have to wait until tomorrow because we’re on our way out to piano lessons.
What kind of stamps do you need? The kind to make the impression in the wax?
Love, Wardeh
Dear Wardeh,
What an awesome topic to introduce. I’m a huge fan of
letter writing and prefer wax seals and writing with quill and ink.
I bookmarked the page you mentioned…thanks. Oh, I think in
“Dangerous Liasons” there are scenes where letters are opened
and you could see how the letters were folded.
Glenda, that just doesn’t surprise me at all! You too are very into the things of old. I know I saw that movie, or parts of it, ages ago, but I sure don’t remember a scene where letters are unfolded. Being that you are in tune with those old letter writing skills, I’m not surprised that you noted it. I wish I had. I was thinking that I could probably melt a candle’s wax onto the back of a folded letter and then press something into it (like wire swirled up or something else I could scrounge up) to make a seal. I hope to have time today to fold some letters. I wrote a letter this morning to a friend but in the end chickened out and put the letter into an envelope. I didn’t trust the mail service to handle it properly! Love, Wardeh
Neat! I love paper arts. If only people still wrote letters! Sigh.
Blessings!
Lacy
Lacy, I might say… if only *I* wrote more letters! Or, if only it didn’t cost almost a dollar to mail one… I have a friend locally who writes me letters now and then and they are so sweet. I try to write back but I’m not as good as she is. Love, Wardeh
Please do not use candle wax. I have tried that with a letter to my friend and it ran through the entire envelope what a mess. Had to rewrite the entire thing NOT fun being that I spent forever practicing my calligraphy with that document.
Thanks a lot
Does anyon know anything about Victorian letter presses (presumable used to clamp down the folds of letters after the seal was applied)?