STATIONERY, CRESTS AND MONOGRAMS
SOCIAL CORRESPONDENCE
For all social correspondence use plain sheets of paper, without lines,
of white or cream, or perhaps light gray or a very dull blue. But white
or cream is the safest. Select a good quality. Either a smooth vellum
finish or a rough linen finish is correct. For long letters there is the
large sheet, about five by six and one half inches, or it may be even
larger. There is a somewhat smaller size, about four and one half by
five and one half or six inches for formal notes, and a still smaller
size for a few words of congratulation or condolence. The social note
must be arranged so as to be contained on the first page only.
A man should not, for his social correspondence, use office or hotel
stationery. His social stationery should be of a large size.
Envelopes may be either square or oblong.
In the matter of perfumed stationery, if perfume is used at all, it must
be very delicate. Strong perfumes or perfumes of a pronounced type have
a distinctly unpleasant effect on many people. It is better form to use
none.
[Illustration: Specimens of addressed social stationery]
[Illustration: Specimens of addressed social stationery. (The first
specimen is business stationery in social form)]
An inviolable rule is to use black ink.
The most approved forms of letter and notepaper (although the use of
addressed paper is not at all obligatory and it is perfectly proper to
use plain paper) have the address stamped in Roman or Gothic lettering
at the top of the sheet in the centre or at the right-hand side about
three quarters of an inch from the top. The color used may be black,
white, dark blue, dark green, silver, or gold. Country houses, where
there are frequent visitors, have adopted the custom of placing the
address at the upper right and the telephone, railroad station, and post
office at the left. The address may also appear on the reverse flap of
the envelope.
Crests and monograms are not used when the address is engraved at the
top of a letter sheet. Obviously the crowding of address and crest or
monogram would not be conducive to good appearance in the letter.
A monogram, originally a cipher consisting of a single letter, is a
design of two or more letters intertwined. It is defined as a character
of several letters in one, or made to appear as one. The letters may be
all the letters of a name, or the initial letters of the Christian and
surnames.
[Illustration: The monograms in the best taste are the small round ones,
but many pleasing designs may be had in the diamond, square, and oblong
shape]
[Illustration: Specimens of crested letter and notepaper]
Many of the early Greek and Roman coins bear the monograms of rulers or
of the town in which they were struck. The Middle Ages saw the invention
of all sorts of ciphers or monograms, artistic, commercial, and
ecclesiastical. Every great personage had his monogram. The merchants
used them, the "merchant's mark" being the merchant's initials mingled
with a private device and almost invariably a cross, as a protection
against disaster or to distinguish their wares from those of Mohammedan
eastern traders. Early printers used monograms, and they serve to
identify early printed books.
A famous monogram is the interlaced "H.D." of Henry II and Diane de
Poitiers. It appeared lavishly upon every building which Henry II
erected. It was also stamped on the bindings in the royal library, with
the bow, the quiver, and the crescent of Diana.
Monograms and crests on stationery, after a period of disuse, seem to be
coming into favor again. The monograms in the best taste are the small
round ones, though very pleasing designs may be had in the diamond,
square, and oblong shapes. They should not be elaborate, and no
brilliant colors should be used. The stamping is best done in black,
white, dark green, dark blue, gold, or silver. The crest or monogram may
be placed in the centre of the sheet or on the left-hand side about
three quarters of an inch from the top. The address may be in the centre
or at the right-hand side. But, as noted above, to use both addressed
and monogrammed or crested paper is not good taste. The best stationery
seems to run simply to addressed paper.
Crests and monograms should not be used on the envelope. In the matter
of crests and heraldic emblems on stationery and announcements, many
families with authentic crests discontinued their use during the war in
an effort to reduce everything to the last word in simplicity. However,
there are many who still use them. The best engravers will not design
crests for families without the right to use them. But the extreme in
"crests" is the crest which does not mean family at all, but is a device
supposed to give an idea of the art or taste of the individual. For
example, a quill or a scroll may be the basis for such a "crest."
Really no good reason exists why, in default of a family with a crest,
one should not decide to be a crest founder. The only point is that the
crest should not pretend to be something it is not--a hereditary affair.
[Illustration: Specimens of monogrammed stationery]
[Illustration: Specimens of business letterheads]
On the use of crests in stationery one authority says:
As to the important question of crests and heraldic emblems in
our present-day stationery, these are being widely used, but no
crests are made to order where the family itself has none. Only
such crests as definitely belong to the family are ever engraved
on notepaper, cards, or any new style of place cards. Several
stationers maintain special departments where crests are looked
up and authenticated and such families as are found in
Fairbairn's Crests, Burke's Peerage, Almanche de Gotha, the
Armoire General, are utilized to help in the establishment of
the armorial bearing of American families. Of course, the
College of Heraldry is always available where the American
family can trace its ancestors to Great Britain.
Many individuals use the coat-of-arms of their mothers, but
according to heraldry they really have no right to do so. The
woman to-day could use her father's and husband's crests
together if the crests are properly in pale, that is, if a
horizontal line be drawn to cut the shield in two--the husband's
on the left, the father's on the right. If the son wants to use
the father's and mother's crest, this must be quartered to
conform to rule, the arms of the father to be in the first and
fourth quarter; that of the mother in the second and third
quarter. The daughter is not supposed to use a coat-of-arms
except in lozenge form.
The dinner card that reflects the most refined and modern type
of usage is a card of visiting card size, with a coat-of-arms in
gold and gilt border, on real parchment. These cards are
hand-lettered and used as place cards for dinner parties.
The use of sealing wax is optional, though a good rule to follow is not
to use it unless it is necessary. The wax may be any dark color on
white, cream, or light gray paper. Black wax is used with mourning
stationery. The best place to stamp a seal is the centre of the flap. It
should not be done at all if it cannot be accomplished neatly. The crest
or monogram should be quickly and firmly impressed into the hot wax.
In selecting stationery it is a good plan to adhere to a single style,
provided of course that a good choice of paper and stamping has been
made. The style will become as characteristic of you as your
handwriting. Distinction can be had in quiet refinement of line and
color.
The use of the typewriter for social correspondence has some
authority--though most of us will want to keep to the old custom of pen
and ink. In case this should be employed for some good reason, the
letter must be placed in the centre of the page with all four margins
left wide. Of course the signature to any typewritten letter must be in
ink.
BUSINESS STATIONERY
For the usual type of business letter, a single large sheet of white
paper, unruled, of the standard business size, 8-1/2 x 11 inches, is
generally used. The standard envelopes are 6-1/2 x 3-1/2 inches and 10 x
4-1/2, the former requiring three folds of the letter (one across and
two lengthwise) and the latter requiring two folds (across). The former
size, 6-1/2 x 3-1/2, is much preferred. The latter is useful in the case
of bulky enclosures.
Bond of a good quality is probably the best choice. Colored papers,
while attracting attention in a pile of miscellaneous correspondence,
are not in the best taste. Rather have the letter striking for its
excellent typing and arrangement.
Department stores and firms that write a great many letters to women
often employ a notepaper size sheet for these letters. On this much
smaller sheet the elite type makes a better appearance with letters of
this kind.
[Illustration: Department stores and firms that write many letters to
women often employ a notepaper size]
[Illustration: Specimens of stationery used by men for personal business
letters]
The letterhead may be printed, engraved, or lithographed, and it is
safest done in black. It should cover considerably less than a quarter
of the page. It contains the name of the firm, the address, and the
business. The addresses of branch houses, telephone numbers, cable
addresses, names of officials, and other data may be included. But all
flamboyant, colored advertisements, trade slogans, or advertising matter
extending down the sides of the letter detract from the actual content
of the letter, which it is presumed is the essential part of the
letter.
For personal business letters, that is, for letters not social but
concerning personal affairs not directly connected with his business, a
man often uses a letter sheet partaking more of the nature of social
stationery than of business. This sheet is usually rather smaller than
the standard business size and of heavier quality. The size and shape of
these letter sheets are matters of personal preference--7 x 10 inches or
8 x 10 inches--sometimes even as large as the standard 8-1/2 x 11 or as
small as 5-1/2 x 8-1/2 or 6 x 8. The smaller size, however, requires the
double sheet, and the engraving may be done on the fourth page instead
of the first. The inside address in these letters is generally placed at
the end of the letters instead of above the salutation.
Instead of a business letterhead the sheet may have an engraved name and
home or business address without any further business connotations, or
it may be simply an address line.
THE END