Vintage Letterheads and Billheads

Letterheads suggest privileged access to the companies and people whose names are printed, and sometimes embossed, at the tops of these single sheets of paper. For businesses, they function as official, if not legally binding, documents, lending authenticity to whatever has been handwritten or typed below. For individuals, they can also be a glimpse into a person's taste, since letterheads often reflect the aesthetics of their owners. Billheads are similar to letterheads in that they make statements about the companies whose names are on these documents, but such statements are often rendered graphically in colorful vignettes of best-selling products, prosperous factories, and other indications of success.