The Letters You Keep

Tell us about a letter you've kept and you could win a Crane Stationery wardrobe valued at $500.

Some letters are destined to be saved and savored for years. For more than 200 years, Crane has provided canvases for the words that mean the most.

To celebrate the tradition of letter writing, we welcome you to share a treasured letter that you've received and kept. One winner will be awarded a Crane stationery wardrobe for all of his or her correspondence needs, valued at $500. Crane will award $250 worth of Crane stationery to three runners up. Contest ends May 1st. The winner will also receive a copy of Crane’s Blue Book of Stationery as well as signed copies of books by our esteemed guest judges Letitia Baldrige and Samara O’Shea.

Note: Please do not send us the actual letter at this time. Should your entry be chosen as a finalist, Crane will contact you via e-mail and arrange to receive a copy of the correspondence you describe.

Crane will also launch a special contest Flickr page for entrants to share images of their treasured letters.” Entrants should note that uploading a Flickr image is optional and will have no bearing on the judging process. It’s simply a new and fun way to share the letters we keep. Entrants can upload a photo by joining the Letters You Keep 2008 group at http://www.flickr.com/groups/lettersyoukeep/.

This Year’s Guest Judges

Peter Hopkins

When not serving as a media-relations consultant and historian for Crane & Co., Peter makes pulp, paper and marvels at what the creative spirit can accomplish with such humble materials. As Peter says, “Paper puts food on my table and feeds my soul.”

Samara O’ Shea

Samara O'Shea is the author of For the Love of Letters, a modern guide to letter-writing. Her book is full of helpful tips, personal stories about letters she's written and received, as well as examples of every type of correspondence imaginable: including love letters, apology letters, and even break-up letters. O'Shea is also the founder and editor of Letterlover.net , a letter-writing service. Her writing has appeared in Woman's Day Specials, Country Living, All You, HappenMag.com, and Pittsburgh Magazine. According to O'Shea, "there is nothing—not a text message, not an IM exchange, not a MySpace comment—that competes with the emotional connection made through a letter." (Samara photo credit: Ben Leuner)

Letitia Baldrige

Letitia Baldrige received her Bachelor of Arts Degree from Vassar, did graduate work at l'Université de Genève, and is the recipient of four honorary degrees. She spent a decade in the United States Foreign Service, serving as a special assistant to Ambassadors David Bruce in Paris and Clare Boothe Luce in Rome. She entered the private sector as the first senior woman executive of Tiffany & Co. in New York in 1956.

Letitia Baldrige served as Social Secretary to the White House and Chief of Staff for Jacqueline Kennedy in 1960 and continued to serve as a pro bono advisor to subsequent First Ladies and therefore continued to have, as she phrased it, “a catbird seat overlooking the march of history.” She opened her consulting business in 1964, and pioneered as a woman director of several major corporations.

Letitia Baldrige has published 25 books on the subjects of entertaining, design, and manners. She is a professional lecturer in the United States and abroad, and appears regularly on network television. She has been a front row observer since 1948 of American political events, but she has also survived making major gaffes in elevated places during those years. “The secret to almost everything," Baldrige says, "is to keep your sense of humor, and if you don't have one, for heaven's sake, go get one!

Visit Our Guest Judges’ Blogs

Peter Hopkins, Crane Insider: http://craneinsider.blogspot.com/

Samara O’Shea, Letter Lover: http://letterlover.net

Letitia Baldrige: http://www.baldrigelewris.com/index.html

Contest Fine Print

Contestants may enter the contest online. Crane will collect entries from April 1, 2008 to May 1, 2008. Crane will review all entries and choose one winner and three runners up to be announced on May 16, 2008. Announcement includes: local media relations (Winner’s hometown) and recognition via www.crane.com. Winner and runners up will be contacted by Crane on May 16, 2008. Crane will award winner $500 worth of Crane stationery and autographed books by guest judges Samara O’Shea and Letitia Baldrige and Crane’s Blue Book of Stationery. Crane will award $250 worth of Crane stationery to three runners up. Crane will feature the winner and winner’s letter as well as the runners up and runners up letters on its web site.

Learn More

Learn more about the tradition of letter-writing and Crane’s celebration of the written word on paper by visiting the blog of judge and Crane Insider, Peter Hopkins: http://craneinsider.blogspot.com/

Contest submission is now closed.