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From Redd’s
journal, 1914: “Ever since being invited to accompany President Roosevelt on
his tour of the Amazon, I’ve found myself utterly captivated by the man and his
sense of the hunt. This afternoon, we stalked a crocodile along the riverbank,
lurking in the thick greens of the jungle bush, battling mosquitoes and a
variety of other nasties without name. The beast eluded us for nearly six
hours, slipping in and out of the muddy waters, and I was on the verge of
despair when Roosevelt called out to me in a booming whisper: ‘Redd. Stay
absolutely still.’
Teddy Roosevelt (left) during a 1914 tour of the Amazon rainforest
I froze.
Immediately to my right, the crocodile lay waiting—twelve feet long, teeth
bared. I stepped backward. The beast lay still.
It seems we’d found
our game. ‘What do you think?’ I asked the President. ‘Shall I shoot?’
‘Hmm.’ He lowered
his rifle. ‘Perhaps we ought to give the croc his victory.’
‘Suits me,’ I said.
‘I’m much more disposed to chasing some of the indigenous ladies.’
We left the reptile
in peace. That night, I found the only game I ever needed on the beach, by the
glittering sea—a lady in my arm, and a coconut in each hand.”
Sea/Kelly Green
Like what you see? Check out our products in Sea/Kelly Green.
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Nothing finishes off a piece of written correspondence better than an embossed wax seal over the lip of the envelope. One of the oldest formal embellishments in human history, seals were first used in ancient Mesopotamia and passed through a variety of forms on their way to current contemporary usage. Egyptian Pharaohs, for example, were among the first to use seals in the form of signet rings. And before the adoption of sealing wax as the standard letter-sealing material, the ancient Greeks and Romans used a viscous, sticky mixture of organic liquids called bitumin for the same purpose.
It should be obvious to anyone who pays a cursory visit to the REDD website that Robert Redd favored a vermillion seal, artfully crafted to resemble a tomato. It was his trademark, a stamp of authenticity, and a personal flourish—a touch of REDD for his correspondents.
In the spirit of his custom, we've put together a brief how-to for readers interested in learning how to make wax seals of their own.
Requisite materials:
- Stamp seal or signet ring of your choice
- Sealing wax sticks
- Paper or envelope
- Cooking oil (for treating non-brass seals)
- Flame or butane lighter
- Tin foil
Step One: Choose an appropriate seal and wax color. Brass seals have the advantage of durability, and do not require frequent oiling. Wax color can be left to your preference, although crimson or a similar variety of red is the most traditional and commonly used.
Step Two: Get your paper or envelope ready, and clean the sealing surface area. Nothing marrs an otherwise beautiful seal like stray grime, dust, or detritus.
Step Three: Light the wick of your wax stick. It will begin to drip gradually onto your paper surface. Hold it close enough to be able to control the radius of the seal, thus making a more or less concentric circle, but not so close to risk lighting the paper on fire with the wick.
Step Four: Create your seal. Aim for a circular pool of wax about nickel-size. When finished, blow out the wick and set the stick aside on a piece of tin foil.
Step Five: Apply the seal to the wax. Press down firmly and apply pressure evenly. Count slowly to ten, then remove the seal gently in one swift motion. Done right, you should be left with an unbroken, sharply-defined wax seal. Allow to cool for a couple minutes.
Step Six: Deliver with care. Wax seals are brittle, and can break if not handled properly. Send your letter by post in a padded envelope. Or, better yet, deliver by hand.
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Robert Redd cultivated an enriched, subtle aesthetic, a major part of which was his love of watercolor painting. The halls of the Redd family estate feature dozens of original watercolor works, visual accounts of a lifetime of legendary feats. Reproductions of many of these are on sale to the general public, and these prints are available here for your perusal and purchase.
When words fail, sometimes it is better to let images speak on their behalf. We at REDD have found a terrific video demonstration of basic watercolor painting techniques, with particular focus on painting the sea and the sky. So, without further ado:
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To
help celebrate Valentine's Day, Robert Redd is going on the road. Next week we'll be holding three trunk shows in Florida, and at each show we'll have a myriad of REDD® shirts for both Gentlemen and Boys. The locations
and dates are listed below, for more information, including directions, please visit our Robert Redd events page.
February 11, 2010:
Robert
Redd at Tusk, 10am - 6pm.
925
Azalea Ln
Vero Beach, Florida 32963 US
(772) 231-4025
February 12, 2010:
Robert
Redd at The Country Squire, 10am - 6pm.
4404
N. Ocean Dr.
Lauderdale by the Sea, Florida 33308 US
954-776-5940
February 13, 2010:
Robert
Redd at Kassatly's, 10am - 6pm.
250
Worth Ave
Palm Beach, Florida 33480 US
(561) 655-5655
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