Dr Sally Holloway

I thought the letters were like casual. It was like the opposite. It was serious. And women in these letters, they described how hesitant they were to start this correspondence because they knew the degree of commitment that it entailed. So a lot of it is women saying, oh, I'm not sure about this.

I thought the letters were like casual. It was like the opposite. It was serious. And women in these letters, they described how hesitant they were to start this correspondence because they knew the degree of commitment that it entailed. So a lot of it is women saying, oh, I'm not sure about this.

So letter writing is becoming this really, really important way of forming a person's identity and formulating their feelings. And the letters could be sent much, much more quickly because of the professionalisation of the postal system and improvement of the country's road networks. So it's becoming more immediate and more intimate.

So letter writing is becoming this really, really important way of forming a person's identity and formulating their feelings. And the letters could be sent much, much more quickly because of the professionalisation of the postal system and improvement of the country's road networks. So it's becoming more immediate and more intimate.

The letter itself was a really important sort of gift, just like the tokens we've been talking about. So It had to be written on really good quality paper, so it might be gilded with a little gold leaf around the edges, be several pages in length. With loads of postscripts at the end. So at the end of them, it often says, you know, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5.

The letter itself was a really important sort of gift, just like the tokens we've been talking about. So It had to be written on really good quality paper, so it might be gilded with a little gold leaf around the edges, be several pages in length. With loads of postscripts at the end. So at the end of them, it often says, you know, PS1, PS2, PS3, PS4, PS5.

Because you want to give this impression that you just can't tear yourself away from the page. You hang up. No, you hang up. No, you hang up.

Because you want to give this impression that you just can't tear yourself away from the page. You hang up. No, you hang up. No, you hang up.

Oh my God, that's so interesting. The time you're putting into this letter is the time that you're putting into your lover. It's a material device, you know, through which you're building this relationship.

Oh my God, that's so interesting. The time you're putting into this letter is the time that you're putting into your lover. It's a material device, you know, through which you're building this relationship.

I mean, to some extent it comes from literature. So, I mean, if you were very devout, people made a lot of references to the Bible, Book of Common Prayer, things like Paradise Lost. That was a way to show their piety and perhaps, you know, have a few theological debates with your lover, you know. LAUGHTER

I mean, to some extent it comes from literature. So, I mean, if you were very devout, people made a lot of references to the Bible, Book of Common Prayer, things like Paradise Lost. That was a way to show their piety and perhaps, you know, have a few theological debates with your lover, you know. LAUGHTER

It's showing you're clever, you know, it's showing your wit and your skill and your education. You're having these debates in writing. It's showing are you literally on the same page with this person or not? You know, are you compatible with them or not?

It's showing you're clever, you know, it's showing your wit and your skill and your education. You're having these debates in writing. It's showing are you literally on the same page with this person or not? You know, are you compatible with them or not?

That's why you're going more in code through the gifts. You can't spell it out in writing because everyone's reading your letters. Right, yeah. As a woman, your friends would read a man's letters, your mum might read them, your aunties might read them, and then they might help you write the response as well. Wow. And then often you'd send it unsealed. So this was before people used envelopes.

That's why you're going more in code through the gifts. You can't spell it out in writing because everyone's reading your letters. Right, yeah. As a woman, your friends would read a man's letters, your mum might read them, your aunties might read them, and then they might help you write the response as well. Wow. And then often you'd send it unsealed. So this was before people used envelopes.

You'd send it not sealed. So then again, everyone could open it and read it all through.

You'd send it not sealed. So then again, everyone could open it and read it all through.

People said things in their letters like, oh, I've got so much to say to you, but, you know, perhaps I'll save it for when we're in person because they didn't want to write it down because everyone's going to, you know, don't want everyone else to read it.

People said things in their letters like, oh, I've got so much to say to you, but, you know, perhaps I'll save it for when we're in person because they didn't want to write it down because everyone's going to, you know, don't want everyone else to read it.