This past weekend I closed my laptop and tweeted my exit from the office. My husband and I were off to a weekend-long anniversary celebration. The destination was my son’s military prep school which was celebrating 125 years of grooming fine young men for a life of honor, excellence and leadership.
Saturday morning kicked off with a parade through the Wisconsin town where the school is located. Under sunny blue skies and amid waving American flags, almost 300 cadets in formal parade dress proudly marched in cadence. It was Americana at its wholesome, Midwestern best. There was a marching band, a bagpipe band, handsome cadets and many esteemed dignitaries and alumni riding in vintage automobiles.
One of the lead cars was spectacular and on the driver’s door was a set of hand painted Gothic initials. The owner of the car explained to me that it was his father’s monogram, applied to the car over 45 years ago. He was only the third owner of the car and told me a little bit about its history.
A 1928 Lincoln Touring Car, it was made as a gift for Arthur Fiedler of Boston Pops fame. Back then, an automobile of this caliber was completely bespoke. Only the engine and steering wheel were standard so no two were ever alike. As still holds true today, bespoke creations are very often destined to become heirlooms and are testaments to the discerning taste of the original owner. The elegance of this car speaks eloquently about the taste level of a man whose job required him to wear white tie and tails to work!
Monograms turn up all over. Begun in antiquity as glyphs and seals and refined by the Victorians into a high art form, they have evolved into the multifaceted forms of personalization we know today. I look forward to featuring more examples of the pinnacle of personalized luxury both old and new.
Stay tuned!