Collections record Beta

Collection Record Detail

Object Name

Stationery

Object Number

2019-87-4

Description

Box of invitations and envelopes produced by the Lilac Hedges company of Litchfield. Rectangular cardboard box with clear plastic lid. Gold-colored cardboard with black printed text on edges, "LILAC HEDGES" on short edges and "LILAC HEDGES OF LITCHFIELD CONN." on long edges. Manufacturer's sticker on bottom edge, "LILAC HEDGES/10 PL04/$1.00." Box contains ten matching invitations, single-fold, with printed front. The design shows a tiered display with wood discs holdings candles made from artichokes, cabbage and radishes, and a pineapple surrounded by grapes. Text on either side of the pineapple, "PATIO PARTY." Signed in lower-right, "H.K."

Provenance

From the estate of Lynne Templeton Brickley (1940-2019). Transferred from LHS Archives, Lynne Templeton Brickley Papers, 2019-87-0.

Comment

After serving in World War II, Ralph P. Hinchman III began a greeting card company in a barn behind his family’s home in Litchfield. The family’s name for the property, “Lilac Hedges,” became the name of Hinchman’s enterprise. He began by illustrating Litchfield houses on holiday cards to sell to neighbors and friends in town. Hinchman’s first commercial order came in 1950 from the Cunard Line. In order to expand, Hinchman enlisted the help of fellow artists he met in New York while studying at the Cooper Union. Among them were Jac Venza, who became an Emmy-winning television producer; Hilary Knight, who illustrated the popular Eloise children’s book series; and a young Andy Warhol. Department stores such as Bergdorf Goodman and Bonwit Teller began carrying Lilac Hedges cards. The company added a sales team, moved the printing press into the barn, and diversified the product line to include colorful invitations, valentines, note cards, and stationery. Facing competition from Hallmark and other larger companies, Hinchman struggled to achieve financial success. He sold his interest in the company in the early 1970s.