In our brave new world of laptops and smartphones, one might be forgiven for thinking that writing by hand is in danger of dying out. Indeed, a survey of 1,400 children found that just one in five had ever received a handwritten letter. But the art of the thank-you note is returning, and the impetus is coming from companies like Thornwillow, which produces elegant stationery, printed on huge vintage presses in upstate New York, that echoes the golden age of letter-writing in the 1800s. In turn, St. Regis has created special environments in its Manhattan and Washington hotels that are conducive to letter writing. As Thornwillow’s founder Luke Ives Pontifall explains, the writing of letters and notes on beautiful paper, with a good pen, has become more relevant than ever. “In this age, a hand-written note is a powerful mode of communication that can be saved and passed on. It is a miniature time capsule, a memorial of a moment, and, unlike an email, it communicates your thanks with lasting intent.” thornwillow.com
