I've just called them letter portfolios. I've seen modern ones, but not antique. Sounds like a delightful set. Lettres a repondre means letters to answer.

I did get a couple of hits using letter portfolios! Not anything like what she has but at least it's the right item. I can keep searching on that for a couple of days. Thanks.

I tried "antique lap stationary set" & came up with some!! Hope that helps

Could I send a photo to someone who is able to post pictures? I never can. Even though I follow the directions it doesn't work.

You can email them to me and I'll post. I have to run some errands this afternoon but can do it when I get back. Just click my ID for my email. ;)

OK, here are pinch_me's photos. I linked to photobucket album below as well in case anyone uses pbucket's zoom feature.

Here is a link that might be useful: all photos at photobucket

It's a correspondence folder...used to hold stationary.
Not too old, judging by the crewel, and water damaged.
If it were mine, I would remove the embroidery and frame it and ignore the rest.
Linda c

Are you sure that's crewel? It looks too fine a detail to be part of the crewel craze of a few decades ago. Looks more like a solid fine embroidery. Also looks like some of the romantic designs one saw on pillowslips of the thirties era. I have no idea of value, or age. But with a blotter, might be older than you think, certainly when ink pens didn't mean ball points.......maybe pre-WWII. Maybe not. Frankly like I've said never seen old ones. Is there a manufacturing mark anywhere on it?

The close up of the design is so blurred it's impossible to see the stitches....but the design looks to be typical of crewel designs.
As for the blotter...er....ah...in the front of my high school year book there is a sheet of blotter....
And I graduated somewhere after WW II...not a lot!! But more than a couple of years! LOL!
I took something similar to college....no embroidery...but it was blue "leatherette" with slots for paper, envelopes and letters to answer.
Not antique! LOL! just vintage!

I would have called it embroidery. It's shiny thread, not yarn. Would this have been factory embroidery? It's done so perfectly and yet I know the handwork from the olden days could be spectacular. And definately used with a pen that had to be blotted. Maybe a fountain pen? I remember those. So at least 55 or more years ago before they went out of style? I think I might have been in early grade school when I was allowed to "use" one. We have looked and looked for any kind of mark or manufacturing stamp. Nothing. I saw one of the google images where it looked like the example had the inside cover paper that should have been glued to the cover cut away and a manufacturer stamp there. I didn't want to suggest cutting her thingy apart to see but if this doesn't get us anywhere, I will suggest it.