Letter (message)
A letter is a physical, written message that one person sends to another person (or group of people), often by mail. [1]
Ancient rulers of nations were probably the first people to send and receive letters.[1] The practice of letter-writing eventually spread to include those who were not leaders of nations.[2]
Since the late 20th century, letter-writing has decreased because new forms of electronic communication have been created, including computers and telephones. However, many people still send letters, such as for business purposes.[1][3]
Since the late 20th century, scholars have begun to spend more time studying the practice of letter-writing academically.[2]
Letter (message) Media
News from My Lad by James Campbell, 1828–1893 (Walker Art Gallery)
Letter of Darius the Great to Gadatas, circa 500 BC.
The Einstein letter from Edward Teller and Leó Szilárd to US President Franklin Roosevelt suggesting an atomic bomb project. Click here for page 2.
A thank-you letter from Katharine Hepburn to Alan Light thanking him for his condolences in regards of Cary Grant's death
François Boucher – The Secret Message, 1767 (Herzog Anton Ulrich Museum)
An unconventional delivery method is shown by this message in a bottle. This bottle and its contents (sample postcard and insert shown above) were launched into the Atlantic Ocean in 1959 by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey and were found in 2013 at a beach on Martha's Vineyard.
Australian actress Betty Bryant reading fan mail
A hand-written letter (written in Swedish) from Mikael Agricola to Nils Turesson Bielke, 1549.
By writing both across and down, the sender of a letter could save on postage.
A hand-written letter of Cesare Borgia.
Related pages
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Letter writing. Britannica Kids. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Letters and Letter Writing. Oxford Bibliographies (23 November 2022). Retrieved 22 March 2024.
- ↑ Letter Writing in the Twentieth Century. National Postal Museum. Retrieved 22 March 2024.
