Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108THE PLACE FOR NEW & USED BOOKS ON THE PENINSULA HOW PORTLAND DOES A BOOKSTORE Monument Square, Portland 207-772-4045 www.longfellowbooks.com Plus Cards, Journals, Gifts & Portland’s Largest Selection of Magazines 10 p o r t l a n d monthly magazine Editorial Colin W. Sargent, Editor & Publisher Print Makes the Occasion Special Featuring original works of fine art, photography and limited-edition prints by regional and local artists. 372 Fore Street Portland, Maine 04101 (207) 874-8084 www.forestreetgallery.com Partners 12 x 12, acrylic on canvas, Jeffrey Sabol Featuring original works of fine art, photography and limited-edition prints by regional and local artists. 372 Fore Street Portland, Maine 04101 (207) 874-8084 www.forestreetgallery.com Monhegan Morning Paul Black 11 x 14 oil L ast spring, in the middle of one of those dreary late snowstorms, a stun- ning vellum envelope appeared in our mailbox just when we needed it. To our de- light, it was a ‘Save the Date’ request, deliv- ered with as much ceremony as used to be re- served for an invitation to a State event. Sever- al weeks later, we were delighted again with an even lovelier and larger envelope that included the formal invitation in several pages. With its gorgeous typesetting, kerned to perfection in a style (Opti York) exquisitely chosen to pair with its message, the invitation seemed created to be delivered by an angel. I was transported to a time when watermarks were embedded into top-quality papers as signatures for uncom- promising craftsmanship. Months later, when we arrived at the wedding, I was further delighted by the programs at the ceremony and touched by the writing inside them. The whole sense was graceful and unhurried, well bespoken for the occasion, each piece finished with a matching pink ribbon. These missives of devotion were created by talented souls with great thought and care. It struck me–a gigantean shift has happened. It reaffirmed for me that the art of print is not in decline, it is ascending. When I arrived at the wedding reception, a table in white linens greeted us inside the foyer with luscious name tags, print directions to our table, and lovely Arabic numerals on print placards gently guid- ing us to our chairs. Now this was presentation as art. For this single event, it seemed that at least two dozen separate pieces of correspondence had been fashioned. I have savored them all. Suddenly internet correspondence–so infamous for its lack of endearments (even the greeting ‘Hi’ is getting scarce), its disturbing lack of privacy, its impossible-to-confirm claims, its suspect motivations, its buzzing pop-ups, its ‘exclusive’ gates with passwords, and finally its use of mone- tizing for its raison d’être (I could go on)–has become lackluster and humdrum, ready for the de- lete button. An e-mail or text message? So what? But when a special something arrives in the mail… Highly crafted print products–a quiet shelter from the noise of the internet–are not just an- nouncing but actually making the special occasion. Even more so in Portland, which has always been a revolutionary city for the print business. This came home to me recently when I got a call from long-time friend John Hatcher. “The Adam Leighton house has come up for sale on the Western Prom.” Visions of color postcards danced before my eyes. Adam Leighton pioneered and developed the world’s color postcard industry in the late 19th century. (See our House of the Month story in this issue, p.93) Adam Leighton, Mayor of Portland, 1908-1909, was the father of this breakout new international postal art form that would define tender (Wish you were here is synonymous with picture postcards) visual correspondence. His son, Hugh C. Leighton, would build on this so that today, when you see a vintage tinted halftone postcard or genius chromolithograph, you have the Leightons to thank. As another tangible form of correspondence, we at Portland Monthly would like to thank you for picking up this magazine and spending your time with us. Love of reading and writing is at the heart of our business plan. Like an interdimensional postcard, we strive to be a lift, a shaft of sunlight, coming your way in the mail. To have and to hold.