21st Birthday Card

Associated Shappes

Date1941

Object NameCard

Mediumpaper, paper, ribbon

ClassificationsMuseum General

DimensionsOverall: Height: 12.4 cm, Width: 15.2 cm

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS028951

Keywords

About Me21st birthday card with a paper insert printed with a birthday message. The cover of the card features an image of a couple in Victorian dress at the foot of a grand stair case. The card is held together with a piece of lavender ribbon.

The tradition of sending greeting cards to friends and family goes back to at least the early 19th century. These early cards were hand-made, often featuring a painting or drawing. The first commercial cards were produced in the 1840s for Christmas and were one sided with no folds and no envelopes.

The penny post introduced in England a few years earlier made this new form of communication popular very quickly, especially when cheaper colour printing meant just about everyone could afford to send cards. This combination encouraged card manufacturers to expand their ranges to include cards for other occasions such as Valentine's Day, Easter and Birthdays.