The Little Brownstone Stands Alone

The Crane Archives have hundreds of advertisements for social and business papers from the last 100 years or so. It is a rare occasion that one pops up that I haven't seen. This was one such occasion, from the August 27, 1960 issue of The New Yorker:

Entitled "Cajole on Crane's," there follows a portion of a letter: "so you see, my dear Sir, how much the brownstone means to me. Surely, your impending skyscraper might fit in quite nicely elsewhere. Cordially, Agatha Winthrop."

The copy underneath reads, in part: "When it comes to getting your own way, a letter on Crane's paper is more influential than a Victorian turn of phrase. Miss Winthrop's letter was written on Crane's Greylawn paper with a tissue-lined envelope."

So, was this a real letter? Surely it must be! Google would prove otherwise. The only credible reference to Agatha Winthrop appeared in the October 1, 1960 issue of The New Yorker, under the heading of Fiction. Here's the abstract of the article:


ABSTRACT: A declaration of a certain Agatha Winthrop that appeared in an ad under the photograph of the author's house prompted this casual. The ad was for Crane's letter paper. The letter is quoted thus: "...so you see, my dear Sir, how much the brownstone means to me. Surely, your impending skyscraper might fit in quite nicely elsewhere. Cordially.. ." Mr. L.D. Hamilton owned and lived in the house (it appears to be at 239 E. 68 St.) until Dec. 15, 1959. He made an investigation to account for the existence of Agatha Winthrop and her attachment to his house. His conclusion was that Miss Agatha Winthrop is entirely fictitious and the creation of Madison Avenue and Massachusetts.

I paid the $5.95 to be able to read the entire piece by Mr. L.D. Hamilton. It's very well written and lots of fun, trading whimsey for whimsey. It will accompany the the ad in the Archives.

I wondered what 239 East 68th St. looked like today in New York. Here's a view from Google Earth. I'm not seeing any brownstones.....

National Magazines Making Gift Guide Selections

It's been a busy time of late, as the national magazines start making selections for their Holiday Gift Guides. I never know until I have a copy in my hand if a piece of Crane stationery actually makes it to print. So in order not to jinx the situation, I'll show you their selections to date but won't name the magazines.

Hand-engraved Angel with Harp

Calligraphy Dove

Black Label Collection: Hand-engraved Elephants

Engraved Flame Red Monogram

kate spade awning stripe calling card

classic kate spade post cards

kate spade plaid holiday greeting card

Martha Stewart Sea Life Correspondence Card

Julia Farill's Spectacle Note Selection

And, of course, a Classic Thank-you Note

Calling All Etiquette Experts: What Would You Do?

If a guest brings you a wonderful bottle of French wine, and you can't find a bottle opener, is this acceptable?

Note: Etiquette experts around the world are flocking to this site, so you may have to be patient. If the video box doesn't show up, here's a link.

Crane Launches New Website: Come Visit!

This week, Crane launched a new website at crane.com, designed to create a brand new stationery shopping experience. There are new tips, new ideas and a new section to make your visit very personal. By unlocking your drawer, you can find special offers on the products you love, keep track of your orders and your favorite products and articles as well as the more pragmatic, such as an address book and order history.

There is also a new Crane Community site where you can tell your Crane stories and participate in community forums on a variety of topics. We're working on integrating the blog.

So please visit and make yourself at home.

Crane CEO Interviewed for CNN Money Feature

Charlie Kittredge, Crane's CEO and a sixth-generation descendant of Zenas Crane, recently gave an interview with CNN Money. Charlie covered family, history, money and stationery.

Here's a link to the article. You will see video toward the bottom.