About twenty years ago, Rebecca Ruebensaal called upon her childhood imaginary friend, a globetrotting gentleman named Mr. Boddington, and started a small business devoted to paper. Her parents were dizzy with worry.
In its early years, Mr. Boddington created engraved and letterpress invitations for picky yet impeccable brides in Manhattan. You might have one of these invitations rattling around your drawer. The telltale sign was fine printing on 100% cotton paper (not wood) and an envelope lined by hand. Eventually the business evolved to offering hand-illustrated greeting cards, stationery, books and globally-sourced desk accessories, always with Mr. B's idiosyncratic perspective as the guiding muse.
Most recently, Courtney Ebner, a retail specialist and founder of Norman & Jules, teamed up with Rebecca and the team to open our new Brooklyn flagship. Together, with Mr. Boddington as their muse, they’re reimagining paper and the charm of old-world shopping.
Today, anyone who loves paper can find Mr. Boddington in over 500 stores worldwide, online, or by visiting our retail shop in Brooklyn. We are fortunate to design for brands including Anthropologie, Paperless Post, Air Mail, Schoolhouse, Penguin Random House, Chronicle, Paper Source, The Laundress and Maisonette.
Although the fictitious alter-ego Mr. Boddington remains firmly at the creative helm, in reality the company is run by a team of strong, talented women. They would agree that the business' purpose for existing remains steadfast: in a tech-obsessed world that has gone bananas, we seek to deepen one's relationship with paper.
