Sitting Pretty in Vermont with Bills and Coins

A colleague of mine breathlessly buttonholed me one day during the National Stationery Show. "Peter. You've got to see this guy!" Yeah, yeah, sure, sure.

The cover of Johnny Swing's brochure has a photo of a welded sculpture that twists and turns in all sorts of directions. Not sure what's the big deal here until I open the brochure to see Johnny Swing sitting on a large couch made from coins. Still, I'm no fan of coins. I'm rather fond of dollar bills, but this looked interesting. And sure enough....

Johnny Swing was exhibiting some of his creations at the International Contemporary Furniture Fair, just below the National Stationery Show at the Javits Center. I went down to visit and learned that he's a fellow Vermonter living about an hour from me and we have mutual friends.

I loved his Nickel Couch, made with 7,000 nickels, and his Half Dollar/Butterfly Chair, which uses 1,500 half dollars.



But what struck me most, being the dollar bill guy, were the pillows and stuffed animals made from - you guessed it - dollar bills.



I don't normally make suggestions to those who create beautiful and functional works of art, but I mentioned that he might be able to get a deal on some dollar coins. There are lots of them just sittin' around....

A Banknotable Anniversary for Crane & Co.

I was wandering through the Crane Museum of Papermaking the other day and just happened to notice part of an exhibit I really hadn't paid much attention to lately. I guess I should be more attentive more often, as I almost let a big anniversary get by me.

The exhibit is about Crane and United States currency paper, which they have proudly made since 1879. Let's see....1879....2009....do the math, Peter! 130 years. And guess what? Here's the original letter from The Ohio Icicle, Treasury Secretary John Sherman:



Yup; that's today.

There's a story behind that letter; a story that can be long or short depending on the talents of the storyteller. I'll do the short version.

W. Murray Crane, then only 26, took up lodgings in Washington, DC, when it was learned that the Treasury Department was dissatisfied with its current supplier of currency paper and was issuing a request for bids. He and a dozen or so other bidders camped out in the capital, with Murray corresponding with his father, Zenas Marshall Crane, almost daily.

May 27, the deadline by which to submit bids, arrived and all the competitors handed in their sealed envelopes well in advance of the final hour.



As the story goes, all believed they had submitted their best and final price, and were gathered in the bar of one of the local hotels, trading stories. Murray must have gotten wind of what was believed to be the lowest bid, and left for his hotel room to prepare another, lower bid.

Once it was discovered that young Crane was about to pull a fast one on the crowd, they locked him in his room and repaired in good spirits to their liquid spirits.

But Murray was a tall, slender New Englander - built like a buggy whip - and managed to climb out through the transom and rush to the Treasury building to submit a second bid only minutes before the close.



That bid - a half-cent per pound cheaper than the next lowest - won the company its first contract to manufacture United States currency paper, 130 years ago today.

Crane's Engraved Stationery on the Globe 100

Back to reality after the National Stationery Show. I've got some more photos to show and some more stories to tell, and will get to them as the dust settles. But today, I just wanted to hook you up with a new video on the Boston Globe 100 site.

I did an extensive interview for the filming, but I had such a bad day that they left me out completely. And that's a good thing. I remember I was describing the unique qualities of engraved cotton papers, and said something like, the fine-line detail and the signature bruise on the back of the card were the "hallmarks" of engraved stationery.

Oh well, the good news is that I should get an extensive blooper reel....

A Whirlwind at the National Stationery Show

I have a short memory. I've been doing this show for quite some time now, and every year, it seems I forget how busy I get when making promises about blogging and tweeting.

Yesterday is pretty much a blur, with more than a dozen appointments with writers and editors from national magazines, all anxious to see what's new. And there is plenty that is new and exciting, but none more so than yesterday's debut of Martha Stewart Stationery for Crane.

We had a great time at the Top of Rockefeller Center in the Rainbow Room, highlighted by a visit by Martha herself. Here are some photos from the event:



Martha with Crane Chairman and CEO Charlie Kittredge.


With Crane Vice President Anita Brady.


Darcy Miller, editorial director for Martha Stewart Weddings, was also in the house.


The view

Opening Day at the National Stationery Show

Well, the big day is finally here. I'm at the Javits Center a little early. There's lots of buzz in the aisles and in the booth. Here are more photos of merchandising displays in the Crane booth: