Antique Patina: Antique Letters and Papers!

This morning I went to a cute little antique show.  I got there a half hour early, and still missed a few great things.  One thing caught my eye was a stack of old French documents.  They range in date from 1751 to 1818.   It appears that some are letters of introduction.  The old paper has watermarks on it, plus impressed seals.   I don't know if it came with the paper, or it was added when the document was written.

I have a vitrine display table.  I know alot of people use them to display fancy smalls, but today I decided to fill it with antique papers.  The only thing that is missing is the old quill pen!

The papers aren't viewed best from the side, but the sight of them makes you curious!

Looks like a piece of history to me!

I hope you enjoy seeing this as much as I enjoyed buying them and putting this together.  I will probably layer more items on top of them.   They also would be great to copy and use for other clever things--like wrapping books, perhaps make a photo mat...Hmmm... what fun!

UPDATE!   

A follower, Dr Vacuum, found that I'm not the only one interested in these pretty documents.  She found them on Williams Sonoma Home, too!  I was amazed that the date of 1753, is so close to the papers I have (1751-1818+)




Description from their website:

From Williams Sonoma Home

Logged by hand on November 22, 1753, these ledger pages record the transactions of a working French farm, including such everyday events as items bought and sold. Today these pages from history look romantically genteel, and our prints reproduce their graceful script and weathered paper in exact detail.

• 20 1/4" x 28 3/4" high overall
• 16" x 24 3/4" high image
• Archival giclée prints on acid-free paper
• Set behind Plexiglas and floated on an acid-free cream mat
• Italian wood frame with black stain and gold-leaf finish
• Made in the USA; frame made in Italy

Are you sitting down?   $525.00

Don't they look nice framed.   I'm enjoying my messy pile of them though!