Birthday Postcard

Date1913

Object NameCard

Mediumcard

ClassificationsMuseum General

DimensionsOverall: Height: 13.9 cm, Width: 8.9 cm

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS027334.17

Keywords

About MeEmbossed birthday postcard featuring a vignette surrounded by pink flowers depicting a rural scene with a cottage. The card also has a printed birthday verse.

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.