Shaun Usher - Letters of Note

The beautiful book you now hold in your hands is the culmination of an unexpected but wholly enjoyable four-year journey through the letters, memos and telegrams of the famous, the infamous and the not-so-famous an immensely gratifying project that first took shape as a website but which now, thanks to the overwhelmingly positive reaction to its online incarnation, takes on a physical form: a carefully crafted, book-shaped museum of letters that will grip and fling you from one emotion to the next, occasionally educate even the most uninformed of minds and, I hope, perfectly illustrate the importance and unrivalled charm of old-fashioned correspondence just as the world becomes digitised and the art of letter writing slips from view.

One thing that hasnt changed since Letters of Note began is its main objective that is, to showcase correspondence deserving of a wider audience and to say Im pleased with the eclectic selection with which you are soon to fall in love would be a huge understatement. The highlights are endless, but let me pluck a handful from the bag to whet your appetite. We have a letter from Mick Jagger to Andy Warhol that contains a wonderfully laid-back design brief for a Rolling Stones album cover; a handwritten note from Queen Elizabeth II to US President Eisenhower which is accompanied by Maams personal scone recipe; a remarkable and masterful riposte from a freed slave to his old master that will leave many of you punching the air; Virginia Woolfs heart-rending final letter to her husband, written shortly before taking her own life; a beautiful, delicate letter of advice from Iggy Pop to a troubled young fan that could warm the coldest of hearts; a truly incredible letter penned by scientist Francis Crick to his son, in which he announces the discovery of the structure of DNA ; a harrowing account of a mastectomy performed without anaesthetic, written by the 60-year old patient to her daughter; and an extraordinary job application letter from one of historys most celebrated minds, Leonardo da Vinci. On your travels you will read love letters, rejection letters, fan letters, apology letters; you will be saddened, maddened, delighted and shocked. One of the letters, imprinted into a clay tablet, dates all the way back to the 14 th century BC ; the most recent is just a few years old. However, despite their many flavours, I am hopeful that all will captivate you as they have me and whisk you to a point in time far more effectively than the average history book indeed, I can think of no better way to learn about the past than through the often candid correspondence of those who lived it.

Also important was to do these priceless time capsules justice aesthetically; to make the book a visual treat. This was achieved by working closely with the very best designers, to present each and every letter respectfully and to its fullest potential. Where possible, we have located and gained permission to reproduce facsimiles of the original documents themselves, in doing so giving you the opportunity to see the very material on which these messages were penned, typewritten or even carved, not forgetting the various smudges, creases and other imperfections that give these objects so much character; in cases where this wasnt an option, we have instead sourced some gorgeous photographs to accompany and complement the letters, a few of which have never before been published. The end result is a book that I am unspeakably proud to have compiled. My only hope is that it will take pride of place on your bookshelf and be passed on to your nearest and dearest. Maybe, just maybe, it will inspire at least a few people to put pen to paper, or even to dust off an old typewriter, and write their own letters of note.

ONE S DROP SCONES

QUEEN ELIZABETH II to US PRESIDENT DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER

January 24 th , 1960

In 1957, five years into her reign, Queen Elizabeth II made her first state visit to the United States as a guest of then US President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The favour was returned two years later when, in August 1959, the Queen entertained Eisenhower and his wife, Mamie, at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, a grand and sprawling private estate of the Royal Familys since 1852. What went on and was discussed behind those closed doors is unknown; however, one thing we can be sure of is this: President Eisenhower was seduced by, and fell in love with, the Queens drop scones. So much so, in fact, that five months after serving them, she belatedly sent him her personal recipe and an accompanying letter.

FROM HELL

JACK THE RIPPER to GEORGE LUSK

October, 1888

On October 15 th 1888, George Lusk, Chairman of the Whitechapel Vigilance Committee a group of concerned citizens who actively searched for the person responsible for a spate of killings known as the Whitechapel murders received this chilling letter from someone claiming to be infamous serial killer Jack the Ripper. It was sent along with a small box, the contents of which was later determined to be half a human kidney, preserved in wine. Catherine Eddowes, Jack the Rippers fourth victim, was thought to be the organs previous owner; according to the note, the remainder of her kidney had been fried and eaten.