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Calling
Cards
Victorian
Stationery for Modern Moms
reprinted
from Little Ones
Magazine
In polite society of 19th
century Europe and America, a lady’s calling card was an
important accessory. She presented it at the door when she
“came calling” and cards were collected and prominently
displayed in a home’s foyer or parlor as a record of those that
had been to visit, and whose calls needed returned. These
business-card-sized cards were engraved simply with the woman’s
name but were often elaborately decorated and coded with French
abbreviations or special folds to indicate the purpose of the
visit.
The etiquette of calling and
other Victorian social customs was strictly adhered to by middle
and upper class women in small towns and big cities, and their
calling cards were both a social currency and a gatekeeping tool
for those in prominent circles. A hostess would screen visitors
before seeing them by inspecting their cards, and a calling card
was used as a request for introduction by those new to town or
aspiring to better their social status.
Today, we have Caller ID to avoid
unwanted callers and afternoon teas have been replaced with
playgroups, but stationers are seeing a rise in the popularity
of traditional calling cards. The modern day version is the
enclosure card, adorned with fun designs and used primarily as a
gift enclosure. Mothers also exchange these business card
sized cards as a handy reference, including their contact
information, names of their children and sometimes a photo.
Enclosure cards and note cards are
a unique gift for showers and birthdays, and printing technology
has made customization more affordable than ever. A wide
variety of personalized calling cards or enclosure cards can be
purchased through stationery stores or websites, or can be
custom-designed by a stationery designer to match thank you
notes and other paper goods. In today’s culture of electronic
communication and cheap, mass-produced goods, quality stationery
is refreshingly refined and making a comeback.
Christine Dryden is the mother of
two and a custom stationery designer with Stir Studios.
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