The construction of the credible: Epistolary transformations and the origins of the business letter

Abstract

The letter is the formal mechanism for communication in the business community. Even contemporary advances in electronic mail have not yet displaced the legitimacy invested in this form of correspondence. However, its very functionality has detached it from the fabric of its social history. This history locates its roots in early letter writing manuals and reveals an epistolary transition from fawning flattery to professional neutrality. The paper examines the history of this particular transformation and suggests its lasting influence in constructing notions of credibility around the contemporary business letter.

Keywords:

• Business credibility
• business history
• business letter
• letter writing manuals

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge the valuable comments of both referees and participants at the ABFH conference in September 2004. Financial support from the Nuffield Foundation is also gratefully acknowledged.

Notes

1. It is interesting to note that the novelist, Anthony Trollope, was responsible for the introduction of the red pillar letter box across the British Isles.

2. Hoares Bank archive, Fleet Street, London, reference: Letters to Customers 1701-6, HB/7/3/1.

3. Hoares Bank archive, Fleet Street, London, reference: Letters from Customers, HB/7/3/3.