A Crossed Letter of Introduction

Let us introduce ourselves to one another through the gentle art of correspondence. Letter writing was an essential skill for anyone wanting to keep abreast of events in the lives of friends and family in the Georgian and Regency Eras. Thrifty individuals trying to send the most for as little as possible created the crossed letter. The cost of a letter was typically based upon the number of sheets the letter was composed on and this included the envelope as an additional sheet of paper. Because postage was paid by the recipient, to send a crossed letter, essentially a two page letter for the price of a one page letter enclosed in an envelope, was a courtesy to your correspondent. Folding the letter in an artful way and sealing with wax allowed one to make the letter into its own envelope and also deterred prying eyes.

Writing a crossed letter may seem confusing, however, once you get started you will find it is not so daunting. To begin, first handwrite a letter as you normally would and when you have completed one side of the page, rotate the paper 90 degrees and write over what you have just written so that the script is crossed. It will seem a bit strange at first but once you have written a line, the previous writing in the other direction seems to fade into the background.

For our first swap, we shall send a letter of introduction to our partner using the crossed letter technique. Do write at least one page that is crossed, or more if you care to. Be creative, for example you could fold your letter and add a wax seal or write in pen/quill and ink if you like. Please write something that would delight you to receive. Be mindful of sending your letter, you may consider placing it in a larger envelope so it is not damaged. The postal system's machinery is not kind to daintily written letters or wax seals.

Inspiration:

http://regencydelight-janeaustenetc.blogspot.com/2014/01/how-to-fold-regency-letter.html

https://herreputationforaccomplishment.wordpress.com/2015/05/06/anatomy-of-a-regency-letter/