December 2023 Newsletter.

Hello Letter Lovers...

Happy Holidays

Thank you, reader, for another wonderful year of letters. You are a vital part of the community here at Flea Market Love Letters and I am entering this period of rest with a heart full of gratitude. We'll be back in 2024 with more letters and stories. Until then, happy holidays from our desk to yours.

Santa Claus, Indiana

We'd have a heart three sizes too small not to share this story out of Santa Claus, Indiana about their annual letter campaign. 

Christmas Post

If you love old advertising check out this piece from the U.K. Postal Museum to see a sample of their Christmas 'post early' marketing from the 1930s to 60s.

2023 in letters

It's December which means it's time to look at the letters shared this year! We've shared almost 50 letters from 8 different series adding to our nearly 600 letters shared from 30 series since our start in 2017. Catch up with the 'newest' series:

• Bacon

• Brink 

• Klueppelberg

• Lauterbach

• Loudon

• Schwenk

• Speilman

'DO': Letters Live

There's a teeny-tiny Benedict Cumberbatch reading Sol LeWitt's 1965 letter to Eva Hesse at the 10th Anniversary of Letters Live in November at the Royal Albert Hall. To hear more about the experience and the letters shared, read here.

'Goodbye Darling'

Recently at the funeral service for late former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, the couple's daughter chose to read from a 75 year old letter from her father and Rosalynn's husband, Jimmy. Let this tender moment be a reminder to you of the timeless staying power of letters. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51W_lpLCSFo

Letter Love Stories

Regular readers may be aware that every month we share a letter story or two from around the interwebs. From a letter hidden in a wall to a potato chip can full of precious memories, we've put together another in our series of found letter stories. For an earlier installment, read here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kq7ZwUJqIXg

Love Letters Launch

Congratulations to friend of the archive, Nick Hilder, on the launch of his EP 'How to Write Love Letters' in late November. We were delighted to attend and host a letter writing workshop for guests, on the night. Nick kindly sat down to share some words on what the project -- and letters -- mean to him. 

Write More Letters 

'Tis the time of year to treat yourself! Order from  our

'Write More Letters' Project for a tee or jumper to arrive early next year! 100% of the proceeds are donated to the charity Hope for the Warriors.

Talking Letters

Thanks to the brilliant writer and friend of the archive, Kate Thompson, for sharing our chat as part of her podcast series! I had the pleasure of hearing Kate talk history live last autumn in Bethnal Green library, a setting in her fabulous book "The Little Wartime Library" which I highly recommend this holiday season!