Crane is synonymous with luxury and individuality – period. Founded in 1770, a few miles from Boston, under the name Liberty Paper Mill, the business began just two years after the British occupied the town. The Liberty Paper Mill, now Crane, was defiant, strong and founded with purpose – themes that would carry throughout its more than 200 year story.
Uniquely American, Stephen Crane and his family continued the business and created personalized notes, stationery and paper which has been used over the years by everyone from Paul Revere to The Roosevelts and Jimmy Fallon. The 100% cotton paper, a staple and trademark of the brand, has been used to send notes of importance – love, adventure, sorrow, self-discovery and travel throughout the world. Crane is, by far, one of the most globally recognized brands for elegance and personalization in an era when much of that has been lost through the digital age.
We held an elegant and intimate event at the stunning Lismore Castle in Lismore, Ireland recently. An affair for 28 guests, Crane helped us create personalized stationery – which included note cards, writing paper and envelopes, to reflect the event’s royal theme and the castle’s rich history. As fine hotels often do, we wanted to leave something special in each of our guests’ rooms – something to remind them of the event and something they could use to correspond with each other, family and friends who were not present. There was no more perfect place to look to but Crane.
The designers at Crane took the time to work with us, conceptualizing layout and materials, color and placement. When working with clients, Crane often asks for input, but they can take any idea and run with it as well. For this event, we wanted something specific – a golden crown logo that we designed to signify a stamp for the event, the castle’s name, the event dates and other personal touches. We chose a thick paper stock in ecru with gold lettering.
Lismore Castle has roots that date back to 1185, so it was important for us to work with a paper and stationery company with historical roots. Crane was the perfect choice. The collaboration and design process for our personalized stationery was easy, and the product was delivered quickly to Ireland from the United States. The midnight blue boxes containing the stationery were expertly wrapped and the each stack of envelopes, papers and cards fit just right. Unwrapping them felt like a very special Christmas morning.
Aside from personalized stationery, Crane specializes in every kind of invitation you can imagine, thank you’s, announcements, business cards and more. A personalized note or piece of stationery says a thousand words, even before anything is written on it. Crane proved this to us, our guests and will always be the leader in luxury paper.