Framing a 42-Year-Old Letter: Preserving Memories with Custom Design

At Underglass, your custom frame shop in San Francisco, we’ve learned that some of the most meaningful projects aren’t always the biggest—they’re the ones that hold decades of personal history. Recently, a client brought us a 42-year-old letter from Toulouse, France that they had treasured since the early 1980s. The letter, written on beautiful stationery decorated with two delicate birds on a branch, symbolized friendship, love, and memory. After all these years, it was finally time to give it a permanent place on the wall.

For us, projects like this are where the true art of framing shines. Instead of tucking the letter away, we designed a floating collage layout so every part could be appreciated: the front and back of the letter, plus its original envelope. To emphasize its delicate character, we floated each element at slightly different heights, creating subtle depth and movement inside the frame.

The entire piece rests in a coffee color stained walnut modern shadow box, chosen for its clean lines and natural warmth. To add richness, we lined the box with a deep navy blue linen—a fabric choice that makes the letter’s ink, paper, and bird motif stand out beautifully. It’s a perfect balance of old-world charm and minimalist modern design, tailored to fit our client’s style and home.

At Underglass Custom Framing, we’ve been helping people preserve their most important keepsakes for more than 40 years. Whether it’s a handwritten letter, a family photo, or a travel memento, our museum-quality techniques mean your memories are displayed with as much care as they were first made.

Because sometimes, the things we’ve carried with us the longest finally deserve a frame.