Letters from History

One famous historical letter a day, shown as a calm duotone keepsake.

Part no.: A93-11
Status: prototype
Platform: Web · Mobile
Year: 2026
Stack: ReactViteExpressSQLitePython scrapersSVG filters

25Curated letters seeded

7Theme palettes × time of day

1SVG filter that unifies every portrait

01 — The problem

Great letters are buried in archives and Gutenberg text files, and nothing about reading them there feels like an occasion.

02 — The case for it

A small daily ritual. One letter and one beautiful card a day, light enough to keep as a habit.

03 — Back of the napkin

Back of the napkinRough · not a forecast

Free daily ritual, with an optional supporter tier or printed keepsakes.

Letters needed per year365
×Curation and context per letter≈ 15 min
=Editorial time per year≈ 90 hours
+Letter texts (public domain)€0
=Real costeditorial time

Running costs

Hosting: static, ≈ €0
Content: public domain
Portrait rights: check each image

At 10× / 100×

Readers cost almost nothing to serve. Content is the bottleneck: every letter needs curating. A small paid archive or prints could cover the editorial time.

Verdict

A lovely small media product. Its value is the curation, not the code.

04 — How it works

Diagram · From archive to keepsake

01ScrapePython scrapers pull letter texts from Gutenberg and other sources.
02CurateEach letter gets its sender, date, context and a portrait.
03DuotoneAn SVG feColorMatrix → feComponentTransfer chain gives every image one look.
04ReadSwipe through the week’s seven covers, then open the letter.

05 — On screen

Three daily covers: one duotone treatment for busts, oils and engravings

Cover: Hamilton, A Love Letter During the Revolution

06 — Engineering highlights

One look for every source

Photos, oil paintings and marble busts all go through the same duotone filter, so mixed sources sit together as one set.

Killed a darling

An earlier procedural isometric-world direction was dropped in favour of something calmer. The design log records why.