Correspondence between humans forms a large part of the world's archives and museum displays. And yet, fewer and fewer notecards and letters have been exchanged over the last twenty years. In 2005, Royal Mail was handling 20 billion letters every year. Today, it's just 6.6 billion, with an estimated 80% of it being bills and business letters.
Which begs the question, what will people visiting exhibitions look at in the future? It's always polite to send a thank you Whatsapp after a good dinner, birthday party, or life event. But, frankly, this isn't going to offer very much for future generations to look back on.
And, although quick and efficient, it's all very impersonal and cold.
But the tide is turning. The brand leading the way on stationery, Papier, reported that sales have doubled in three years. And as everyone longs for less time on the internet, there's nothing nicer than receiving a card or note in the post.
Last year I inherited a box of letters from family members to their close acquaintances. In it was one letter that I cherish the most, written from Paris to say that the Eiffel Tower "will never be a thing of great beauty", consoled by the fact that it was set to be dismantled.
If you want to survive history, it's time to invest in some stationery and write notecards to everyone that you care about. It needn't cost very much money. Although the quality of Papier's products is very high, so are the prices. A simple A5 design with your name(s) at the top, with your address at the very bottom, can cost as little as £36 for 75 notecards. We tried Printed.com and were extremely impressed; they even include envelopes, although they aren't as fancy as Papier's. Almost anyone can knock together something simple and elegant in Canva.
But beyond all this, your friends will be so touched to receive something in the post. Been to a friend's opening show? Send them a card to say how much you enjoyed it. Had a good lunch out? Say thank you properly by post. And at least, while everyone else is still texting, the chances of ending up in a museum in a hundred years' time will shoot up significantly.
Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you subscribe for free.
