Birthday Card

Date1947

Object NameCard

Mediumcard, manmade

ClassificationsMuseum General

DimensionsLength: 17cm
Width : 13.3cm

AcquisitionPresented in 2006 by Mr Eric Crockart & Mrs Lorna Crawford.

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS076105

Keywords

Celebration

About MeBirthday card featuring a printed design of a parasol, flowers and butterflies. The front of the card is cut at an angle and there is a blue ribbon tied in a bow. The inside of the card features a printed verse and more flowers.

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.
More About Me

Collections Wall

Commercial cards first appeared in the 1840s, celebrating Christmas. Cheap colour printing and postage allowed the range to grow, for example to birthday cards like this.