History of Handwritten Letters

The history of handwritten letters is very interesting, which we will see in the following article. The memories and the traditions in the past were preserved by people through means of songs, initiations, storytelling and festivals. Later on, the information was passed among people through markings on the stone and wood, making indents in the clay and through knotted cords. Clay tablets were used by Babylonians to record the astronomical observations.

It was tested by Hellanicus, an ancient historian, that first handwritten letter was recorded around 500BC and it was by Atossa – a Persian Queen and daughter of Syrus. Leaves and barks were then used as the advanced writing means and then the Papyrus scrolls were seen in the ancient libraries of Alexandria and Pergamum.

The Vellum and Parchment were the writing materials that were made from the skins of the animals and they were introduced when there was shortage of Papyrus in the West. Greeks were the ones who developed the earliest means of writing that involved paper and pen, which was made up of metal, bone or sharpened wood. In ancient Greece, the lead pencils were used as a temporary marker. The pencils made from lead composite were used commonly and became popular only after 14th century.

In 14th century, the paper made from linen rags was introduced and when the Roman Emperor used the chariots to transport the important documents, the word post was derived. In the year 1840, Great Britain introduced the first prepaid stamp nationwide postal delivery service.

In 1842, US came out with the limited postal service and then in 1845 a uniform charge of 5 cents was levied which was followed by standardized stamps in the year 1847. It was year 1860 when the post office came into existence from where it took off.

Sample Letters