Letters are magical to me. We think today that anything written on the Internet exists into perpetuity, but that’s not the only medium where this is true. Letters, too, can be everlasting.

This blog will examine personal correspondence from the past. Anything is fair game. Letters show our true emotions and the most personal thoughts and feelings; it may be surprising to discover that people before us loved deeply and fought dirty. This is an examination of the human condition in its most basic form–something that is just lost in translation in this digital age.

Concerning the Privacy of Ephemera

Updated June 3, 2020

All of the items featured on this blog have been either purchased in antique or junk stores, have been given to the author for inclusion on this blog, or are part of the author’s personal family artifacts. In almost every case, the author of the letter is deceased; otherwise, the author’s permission has been granted for inclusion on the blog. Living individuals are kept anonymous unless otherwise stated. 

Letters and other ephemera like diaries, postcards, etc. record interesting and useful information about the lives and times of the author and recipient. I am interested in these items from that perspective. History books tend to focus on the overall themes of history, giving a macro view of life; looking at ephemera provide a slice of everyday life which are just as deserving of academic study, scrutiny, and research. 

It is never my intention to work with these letters and other ephemera in any way other than an academic way. While letters sometimes reveal sensitive and personal information, there is no intention to embarrass or ridicule anyone. Any speculation about the content of the material is just that—speculation—unless backed up by historical records. 

When I research the figures, events, and places mentioned in these letters and other ephemera, I use historical and genealogical records available to the general public. Providing context to the authors and recipients makes the material more useful in an academic sense. 

If you have any questions or concerns about the information on this blog, please reach out to me at everlastinglettersblog (at) gmail (dot) com.