More from 1878…
May 2 - US stops minting 20 cent coin.
May 08 - Paul Hines performs the first unassisted triple play in organized baseball.
May 14 - Vaseline is first sold.
May 24 - CA Parker of Harvard wins the first American bike race in Beacon Park, Boston.
May 31 - US Congress accepts decrease in dollar circulation.
June 4 – Turkey cedes Cyprus over to Britain for administrative purposes.
June 13 – Berlin congress meets to divide colonized Africa. The congress ends on July 14.
June 15 - First attempt at motion pictures (using 12 cameras, each taking 1 picture) done to see if all 4 of a horse’s hooves leave the ground.
July 3 – John Wise of Lancaster, PA was the pilot for the maiden flight of a dirigible.
July 12 – Historical fever epidemic begins in New Orleans. It killed 4,500 people.
July 26 – In California, the poet and American West outlaw calling himself “Black Bart” makes his last clean getaway when he steals a safe box from a Wells Fargo stagecoach. The empty box is found later with a taunting poem inside.
September 30 – The ship Priscilla arrives in Hawaii from Funchal, Madeira, marking the beginning of the Portuguese immigration to the Hawaiian Islands (1878–1913).
October 18 - Edison makes electricity available for household usage.
December 26 - John Wanamaker installed electric lights in his Philadelphia department store.
A Trip Through Our Archives…
Over the course of Dempsey & Carroll’s long history, our company has published a number of books on the art and importance of engraving.
The three above pictures are a selection of pages with old monogram and crest engravings. Note the intricacy of some, and the clean simplicity of others. Engraving is highly versatile, and no matter what statement you want to make, engraving will always demonstrate exceptional class and distinguished taste.
Art and illustration is an important part in the history of engraving and of Dempsey & Carroll. Even today we carry on this tradition, and have a large portion of our staff dedicated to creating unique designs for products and bespoke stationery. With each order we try to instill a level of style and decorum that can be found in our old designs but with a contemporary spin.
Etiquette Advice
I understand that traditionally an after six wedding would indicate formal attire. What does this mean for the groomsmen and bridesmaids? Then in terms of guests’ attire, it is okay to indicate on the invitation that something less than formal is okay, such as semi-formal or even casual? I don’t want everyone to think they must wear a tuxedo or gown since the wedding is at 6:00pm.
For a formal wedding at 6:00 in the evening, the groom and his attendants would wear either white-tie with tails or black-tie with tuxedos. For a slightly less formal wedding, they could stick with black-tie and tuxedos, or they could wear dark suits. For the bridal attendants, if you’re going formal, they would wear long gowns in formal fabrics and colors (think dupioni, brocade or taffeta in black, navy or deep purple). If you’re going less formal, they can wear ankle-, mid-calf- or knee-length dresses in less formal combinations (like crepe, organza or chiffon in blues, pinks or greens).
A few other things can influence the attire as well. Time of year and location will also help determine what’s appropriate for attendants. For example, a beach wedding in August certainly doesn’t call for tuxedos, even if it’s at 6:00. But a November wedding in the city probably does. So you should take those factors into consideration as well.
In terms of the wording for guests’ attire, normally you would not see something about that on the actual invitation, but there are a few other things you can do to indicate that it’s a less formal affair. First, in the opening lines of the invitation, you can say “request the pleasure of your company” (instead of “request the honour of your presence”), indicating that the wedding will be less formal.
Another way to handle this is to have a separate card with details about the reception: time, place, directions and attire. In that case you wouldn’t list any details about the reception on the invitation, just end with the ceremony information. Also, we find that many brides now have wedding websites, so that’s also an excellent place to indicate to guests what attire would be appropriate. Further, make sure your wedding party knows what to tell people – many details like this end up getting communicated through word-of-mouth, so it’s important to get attendants and parents all on the same page.
The At-Home Card
The At-home card tradition began in Victorian times as a way to officially announce a newlyweds’ joint home together and the date at which they would begin living there. At-home cards were originally sent along with the Wedding Announcement or Wedding Invitation.
Today, at-home cards are still useful as a way to alert people of an address change after marriage. Many people also use these cards to announce a name change. Often, couples will send their cards out after the wedding and will include more information than just their home address. It may be useful to include second homes, as well as cell phone numbers and email addresses, along with any other means of contact for you and your new spouse.
Mother’s Day Gifting Ideas
Mother’s Day is fast approaching! Here are some of our favorites from our store…
Our Monica Rich Kosann “i just adore you” gift set is just the right accessory to any paper lover’s stationery wardrobe.
Calling cards, which come in a traditional women’s size (#128), are a useful and thoughtful gift for Mom to hand out when she meets new people.
Our Trina Turk collection is bright, fun, and incredibly luxurious. Mom will be ecstatic to use these cards when writing to her friends.
Don’t let Mom forget what she needs to do tomorrow. Gift her one of our tablets. We recommend our Seahorse or Dragonfly tablet.
Gifts we love from other retailers…
Larkspur and Hawk Lily Earrings in White Topaz
Michael Aram Ocean Coral Diffuser
La Mer Crème de la Mer
Bottega Veneta Maxi Veneta Hobo Bag
Dior Diorissimo Eau de Toilette
Prada Saffiano Travel Case for iPad
Salvatore Ferragamo Varina Patent Ballet Flats
Invitation Etiquette: When to Use What Wording
All the options for an invitation can seem overwhelming, but once you finalize a few details it’s really quite simple! Here are some tips to help you with your wedding invitations…
If the Bride’s mother and father are hosting:
The most traditional wording is:
Mr. and Mrs. William Smith
request the honour of your presence
at the marriage of their daughter
If one parent is deceased, just the living parent can be featured. Some people like to include the deceased parent as well, in which case, we suggest this wording:
Mrs. William Smith and the late Mr. William Smith
If the parents are divorced, but friendly, both names may be on the invitation, with the mother’s name first (and her current husband if she has remarried):
Dr. and Mrs. Kevin Cohen
and
Mr. William Smith
If the Bride and Groom’s parents are co-hosting:
If both sets of parents are hosting, both couples need to be at the top of the invitation. The bride’s parents should be listed first:
Mr. and Mrs. William Smith
and
Mr. and Mrs. John Cooper
request the pleasure of your company
at the marriage of their children
Today, many people like to include both sets of parents even when the groom’s parents are not co-hosting the wedding. This can be done simply by adding “son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Carter” after the groom’s name.
If the Bride and Groom are hosting:
The traditional wording is as follows:
The honour of your presence
is requested at the marriage of
Miss Jennifer Ann Bing
and
Mr. Joseph Wright
OR
Jennifer Ann Bingham
and Joseph Wright
request the honour of your presence…
There are countless ways to word a wedding invitation. Sometimes couples feel it’s easiest just to say:
Together with their families
Jennifer Ann Bingham
and
Joseph Wright
request the honour of your presence…
These are a few of the more common choices, but if none of them fit your needs, we’re happy to work with you to find the perfect wording for your invitation!
Other Things That Happened in 1878…
As many of you know, 1878 was the year Dempsey & Carroll was founded in New York, but it was also the year that these things happened too!
January 1 – Cleopatra’s Needle arrives in London.
January 5 – At the Battle of Shipka Pass IV, Russian and Bulgarian forces defeat the Ottoman Empire.
January 10 - The Senate proposes Female suffrage.
January 14 - US Supreme court rules race separation on trains unconstitutional.
January 16 – Captain Burago with a squadron of Russian Imperial army dragoons liberates Plovdiv from Ottoman rule.
January 22 - Canada wins right to decide whether or not to be included in British trade treaties.
January 25 - Turkish steamer becomes the first ship to be sunk by a torpedo, fired from a Russian boat.
January 28 - First telephone exchange (New Haven CT), and George W. Coy hired as first full-time telephone operator.
February 10 - Peter Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony in F premieres.
February 11 - The first US bicycle club, Boston Bicycle Club, forms.
February 11 – The first weekly weather report published in UK.
February 16 - The silver dollar becomes legal tender.
Quaker Oats Revamps Their Image
There was a great article in the Wall Street Journal last week about the “rosy-cheeked, white-haired man,” Larry, on every Quaker Oats product. PepsiCo, owner of Quaker Oats, has given Larry and the rest of the Quaker Oats logo, a makeover in hopes of more closely aligning itself with healthy-living while also reminding customers of its heritage. PepsiCo has slimmed-down Larry’s face and added his shoulders and chest to their logo make him look “stronger and more vibrant”. The logo, once just Larry’s face and the word “Quaker” underneath, is now Larry’s face and shoulders on a two-toned red chevron with their “Est 1877” atop a band of gold. This revamped logo serves “to reinforce a message of tradition, quality and trust”.
The Power of a Personal Note in Today’s Real Estate Market
We thoroughly enjoyed reading the New York Times’ article entitled “Securing an Apartment With Help From a Love Letter”. While the home space is very personal, in the world of real estate, it couldn’t be more impersonal and “remote”. Thus, letter-writing has helped “buyers seem more human” to sellers and has become a promising strategy for hopeful buyers. Real estate agents who recommend letter-writing suggest mentioning the personal; talking about your family, maybe both you and the seller have twins, or Golden Retriever dogs? Furthermore, agents advise writing about specific parts of the apartment or house that you particularly love, such as the old wooden banisters that spiral throughout the house. These letter-writing tips foster connections and can really seal the deal!
A Trip Through Dempsey & Carroll’s History
Though we were founded in Union Square, we’ve been all over Manhattan! Check out this map of Dempsey & Carroll’s locations in New York City.
