The written word has been in use, in one form or another, for millennia, recording lives and cultures from kings to commoners. People across the world use the written word to communicate their ideas, their histories, their loves, lives and news. The act of writing, too, has been an important part of many cultures. The Hand and The Letter, explores the origins of writing and how it has changed through time and how it has changed us. The exhibit is curated in-house and draws from the Esplanade collections, Archives and private collections, and includes many hands-on elements engaging visitors with the materials, ideas and styles of our written past. The exhibit strives to reconnect people with how their hands, and the letters they write, enrich our lives and cultures.