Birthday Card

Date1952

Object NameCard

Mediumcard, manmade

ClassificationsMuseum General

DimensionsLength: 15cm
Width: 11.5cm

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

LocationView by Appointment - Aberdeen Treasure Hub

Object numberABDMS076114

Keywords

Celebration

About MeBirthday card featuring a printed design with blue birds and a bouquet of flowers. The front of the card is cut with a decorative edge. There is also a blue ribbon tied in a bow at the folded edge of the card. The inside of the card features a printed verse, flowers and another blue bird.

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.