Letter
J. Spalding
1838
In this example of a crossed letter the writer has used every scrap of available space, finally writing across the lines to get the full value for her postage. If she had written on an additional sheet of paper and enclosed it in this page, it would have cost two shillings and fourpence halfpenny to send it, double the rate. At first glance a ‘crossed’ letter like this is difficult to read, but once you get used to the idea of blocking out unwanted letters, it is legible.
Image and text by Eunice Shanahan Eunice and Ron Shanahan have shared with readers of the Victorian Web this material from their website, Letters from the Past. Click on thumbnails for larger images.
Last modified 26 May 2010