Book Review: American Fashionable Letter Writer

This one may be tricky to find, because it was published in 1859. It was a gift from my writer friend Jo Acosta. She said she’d had it for years and doesn’t remember where she got it, but when she saw that the publisher’s last name was Cottrell and knew of my love for all things about note and letter writing, she generously gifted it to me.

The book is quite small (3” x 4-1/2”), and I use my magnifying glass to read it, but my goodness, what a treasure trove it is! It is a reminder of how dependent all social and business interactions were on letter-writing in the 19th century, and the examples in the book are quite far-ranging and quite amusing. Here are a few:

From a father to his daughters on courtship and coquettish behavior
From an uncle to his nephew on his keeping bad company, bad hours, etc.in his apprenticeship
From a gentleman to a young lady of superior fortune
An urgent demand of payment
From a widow to a gentleman rejecting his suit
From a lady to a lover who suspects her of accepting the addresses of another

Every time I dip into this little book, I am captivated by the formality of the language and the seriousness given to every possible social and business transaction.

After it went out of print, it appears to have been republished AVAILABLE HERE on Amazon (my affiliate link). I love having the old book.