The Mandarin letterhead and envelopes

The Mandarin letterhead and envelopes

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Description
Off-white letterhead and envelope with words in red. On the envelope in the upper left corne, the title of “the mandarin” appears and the address is displayed below “900 North Point Ghirardelli Square San Francisco, Ca. 94108.” On the letterhead, in the upper left corner, the title of “the mandarin” appears and the address and phone number appears right below “900 North Point Ghirardelli Square San Francisco, Ca. 94108 (415) 673-8812.”
A letterhead is the heading at the top of a piece of stationary, usually signaling the name and contact information of the company. An envelope is the packaging stationery that encloses the letterhead. The letterhead was first known as “letter paper” in the late 19th century. In the beginning of the 20th century, letterheads were customized to fit typewriters. By the 1940s, many companies began to place their logos on letterhead.
The Smithsonian holds several letterheads and envelopes from different locations of Mrs. Cecilia Chiang’s restaurant, The Mandarin. The letters and envelope signal a formal business culture and the reliance of correspondence through the post office. These letterhead and envelopes certainly take us back to a time before computers and the internet.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
letterhead
letterhead and envelope
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
letterhead: 10 5/8 in x 8 1/8 in; 26.9875 cm x 20.6375 cm
envelope: 4 1/8 in x 9 1/2 in; 10.4775 cm x 24.13 cm
ID Number
2013.0127.05b
accession number
2013.0127
catalog number
2013.0127.05b
Credit Line
Gift from Cecilia Chang
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Work and Industry: Asian Pacific American Business
Food
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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