Signed & Sealed: Greetings, Goodbyes, and Fine Lines from History’s Remarkable Letter Writers

Explore quotations drawn from inspiring correspondence—and the powerful stories behind them—from some of history's most noted (and notorious) letter-writers in Signed & Sealed, a beautiful collection from Quotabelle.
From the authors of Beautifully Said, Grit & Grace, and Bravely, comes Signed & Sealed, a charming gift book that captures the wit, heart, whimsy, drama, and brilliance of correspondence between iconic and little-known pairs both past and present. Inside, readers will find quotations from these exchanges—highlighting the openings and closings penned by their authors—alongside intriguing stories that reveal the who, what, when, and where behind each carefully selected passage.
With chapter themes like “with a wink,” “with a swoon,” and “with an agenda,” this clever, rigorously researched collection delivers wisdom and inspiration drawn from the private words of public pairs. Quoted segments of these correspondences are drawn from letters of all sorts—from fan mail and love letters to sage advice and fond farewells. The featured quotations—and the back stories that accompany them—are perfectly suited for bibliophiles, history buffs, pen pals, stationery fans, and letter lovers of all ages.
The 100 featured correspondents include friends, colleagues, lovers, family members, and professional admirers, among them Frida Kahlo and Georgia O'Keefe, John Adams and Abigail Smith, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald, Elizabeth Taylor and Andy Warhol, Nelson Mandela and his young daughters, plus many more.
This unique collection was meticulously researched and curated with care by Quotabelle, a start-up that elevates women’s voices through the power of words. It’s bound to inspire today’s letter writers to create their own new “signatures.”
Signed & Sealed is a perfect pairing with Quotabelle’s Salutations & Signoffs notecards, both designed to revive the lost art of letter-writing, one line at a time.