Mail Bag! A letter from Toronto's First Post Office... sealed with wax, no less

Following my month of letters, I traveled to British Columbia to visit family for 5 weeks. Upon my return, a few days ago, I happened upon a handful of letters in our mailbox. Including this gem, sealed with wax:

"Toronto, 13 February 2012

Dear Ms. Crook,

I listened with interest to your interview on "Spark"and last night...

I thought I should invite you to Toronto's First Post Office this coming Sunday afternoon when the "Post-a-letter Social-activity-club" (Pal-Sac) will be meeting here for their first regularly scheduled third-Sunday of the month sessions. You can find more about this on-line or -- take a chance and turn up!

This is the form that most of the letters in our museum collection take. The font is from the handwriting of Emily Austin, a woman who lived in Texas in the 1830s. It even comes with a couple of ink blots. [blot] It does fail to fade where the quill would have run out...

I am

dear Madam

Your obedient servant

Janet Walters, Postmistress

Postmistress! What a stupendous title.



I can not wait to visit The Town of York Historical Society to peruse their collection of letters (some of which I will share here with you) and to participate in next month's letter writing gathering (this month I am hosting my own... tomorrow: at the Good Neighbour Espresso Bar, 4-6pm.)