SIGNED, SEALED & DELIVERED: AMERICANS SHARE STORIES OF CHERISHED LETTERS Crane & Co.'s Contest Celebrates Lasting Personal Connections

April 30, 2007; Dalton, Mass. – A father expresses his affection for his daughter in a letter sent from a post far away in Venezuela; husband and wife reflect on 150 letters they have sent to each other over 19 years; a young woman keeps a summer romance alive with letters from a Spanish boyfriend. No, this is not a Hollywood storyboard; these are just some of the stories pouring in to Crane & Co., the 200-year-old stationer, as part of its contest, "The Letters You Keep."

Crane is asking people to describe a letter they've saved throughout their lives and explain why it's important to them. The company will accept submissions through May 15; the winner will be awarded $500 toward building a Crane & Co. stationery wardrobe.

In the midst of National Card and Letter Writing Month, the company finds itself overwhelmed with touching stories coming in from all over the nation. "Reading the stories associated with these letters, takes us on an emotional roller coaster," said Megan Kuntze, Crane's senior marketing manager. "One letter fills you with joy, and the next puts you on the verge of tears. They pull you into so many personal moments in the lives of the writers. It's as if we're there with them as they put pen to paper."

"It's very clear that in an exceedingly fast-paced and technological world, letter writing is more relevant and powerful than ever."

From the entries received so far, it's clear that saved letters connect people with the past and help guide their future – whether it's reminiscing about a happy time with a letter received on one's wedding day, or remembering a deceased loved one whose words of wisdom and advice are immortalized on paper.

"The letters you keep allow you to relive precious moments in time. We hope this opportunity encourages you to sit down and riffle through your own box of saved letters, and bring back your own special memories," said Kuntze.

To find out more about Crane & Co. and the "The Letters You Keep," visit www.crane.com.

For more than two centuries, Crane & Co. has been the country's leading maker of fine 100 percent cotton stationery for social and business correspondence. Crane stationery is sold nationwide through a network of more than 2,000 independent retailers, as well as through printers, engravers and paper merchants. The Crane watermark remains the most significant mark of uncompromising quality, symbolizing the pride and personal touch of the stationer. Founded in 1801, the company's roots extend to the birth of the nation. It was at Crane's Liberty Mill that paper was made for Paul Revere to engrave colonial currency in 1776. Crane has made the distinctive paper for United States currency since 1879. The company continues to be owned and managed by members of the sixth and seventh generations of the Crane family.