He wrote the most creative love letter ever for his wife in 1913 — but it wasn’t what it seemed
It was a miniature art gallery designed for a specific purpose that expressed care for his wife
Love letters capture feelings that couldn’t be said out loud, whether because of distance or hesitation. Sometimes they are simply expressions of deep love, and at other times, a way to show care, as in the case of American cartoonist Alfred Joseph Frueh. On January 10, 1913, Frueh penned a love letter to his wife that is part letter and part model of an art gallery. One of the romantic goals behind this letter was to prepare his wife to attend a “gallery marathon” in Paris, and it was modeled like a preview of that exact space, according to a report by 1000 Libraries Magazine.
According to the picture shared by the Archives of American Art, the letter actually unfolds into an L-shaped model that mimics a tiny art gallery complete with wall paintings, artworks, walls scrolled with cursive text, and a coat check with the phrase "Leave your hats and umbrellas at home. I ain't got time to check them." Above a cut-out door trimmed in black, a message reads “This way in.”
Born in Lima, Ohio, in 1880, Frueh met his wife, Giuliette Fanciulli, in New York City. His prolific contributions were noted in cartoons, witty illustrations, and artworks, at first in the New York World, and later in The New Yorker. In addition to his jobs, he created paintings, children’s furniture toys, pop-up cards, and cutouts. Having perfected his craft, Frueh often incorporated drawings and creative elements into his letters, yet his most staggeringly creative piece was dedicated to his wife.
For this piece, particularly, he utilized a meticulous geometrical alignment of collages, cuts, and structural folds to simulate the experience of an art gallery. Though originally meant as a private piece, the letter is now preserved as part of the Smithsonian’s Archives.
This sounds astonishingly romantic, but according to neuroscience and psychology, this is precisely the way to express one’s deepest emotions and communicate with loved ones. A study published in the Journal of Marketing called it the “Handmade Effect.” Researchers related that the receiver often feels the creator's love getting transferred to them via a product or piece of art made by hand, over something crafted by machines.
Frueh expressed his affection by showing his wife that he cared about her not getting lost or overwhelmed in the gallery marathon. And just like that, everyone has their own unique way to communicate this thing called love.
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