Vintage letterheads of famous actors, singers and directors
A year after I posted about Letterheady, the fantastic website run by Shaun Usher showcasing interesting letterhead designs, mainly legendary artist, politicians, scientists and corporations, I find Letterheady is still going strong. Its collection is delightfully getting bigger. This time I have picked out a few actors, musicians and directors. I just see in my mind's eye the days before email, Facebook and Twitter. Charlie Chaplin taking the to send me a hand-written letter. What better example of humility? Here are some of my favorites. And for those who don’t know the names I have listed below , I can just quote the great Groucho Marx: “A child of five would understand this. Send someone to fetch a child of five.”
Groucho Marx, 1961
Charlie Chaplin, 1967
Michael Jackson, date unknown
Steven Spielberg, 1982
Marilyn Monroe Productions, 1962
Letterhead used by Freddie Mercury in 1973, the year Queen’s debut album was released.
Queen, 1973
Elvis Presley, 1965
Aged just 8 in 1936, Shirley Temple already had her own letterhead. And an Oscar.
Shirley Temple, 1936
Madonna, 1994
TCB Band of Elvis, 1969
Groucho Marx, 1961
Charlie Chaplin, 1967
Michael Jackson, date unknown
Steven Spielberg, 1982
Marilyn Monroe Productions, 1962
Arnold Schwarzenegger, 1989
Louis "Satchmo" Armstrong, date unknown.
Steve McQueen, 1969
Johnny Cash’s personal letterhead, date unknown
Letterhead used by Freddie Mercury in 1973, the year Queen’s debut album was released.
Queen, 1973
James Dean, 1955
Marlene Dietrich, date unknown
The characters to the left of the taijitu translate as ’Using no way as way’, whilst those on the right read ‘Having no limitation as limitation’.
Bruce Lee , 1968
In the early-1970s, legendary artist Frank Frazetta was asked by Bo Derek and her husband, John, to design the letterhead for their new production company: Svengali Productions. This stunning rough sketch, in which a nude Bo Derek acts as svengali to an unidentified male puppet below, was one of Frazetta’s preliminary ideas.
Svengali Productions., c 1970
Elvis Presley, 1965
Harpo Marx, 1930
Shirley Temple, 1936
Jean Harlow, 1934
Madonna, 1994
