Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1859-12-08
NfsftIng.G ards.

PARIS. Thursday. Nov. 10, 1859
As | took some pains to tell you, last
week, and to demonstrate by actual com
paris0n, the larger sizes of photographs pro-
duced by American artists. far surpass in
beauty and perfection of detail those of their
European rivals; but l said nothing of the
queer little pictures, invented in Paris,
within a year past, and since issued in thou
sands and tens of thousands, in the form of
visitng-cards. Have you yet adopted in
| New York. the PariSiau fantasy OF leaving
yOur portrait at the doors of your acquaint-
anceS, instead If an unmeaning bit of GLAZED
pasteboard with your name engraved across
| the middle = Stop. II memory serve me,
the knickerbock, rs long since deserted the
ancient mode of having their cards printed
to employ the nimbe fingers of peripatelic
penmen, in manufacturing at the rate of
hundred per hour in all the possible and i'm
possible styl, autobiography, severely simple
CT profusely ornate, those conventional re-
prcsentatyes Of Individuality. Here visiting
cards going out of fashion, almost as
rapidly rs criuolne, which, as YOU are
doubtless aware, is coLlopsing, among the fair
Parisiennes, at a rate fearful for couurieres
and spectators in horse-hair 10 contemplate.
Our feminine leaders of the ton have given
up their crinOline and their cards together
hndlng IL Infinitely more distsngue To appear
IN robes of less exiravagant rotundty, and
to leave. for their friends, photograph in-
stead of q name.
The idea of these Liiliputian resemblances
was first conceived, | believe, By Disderl a
famous and successful Partisan artist, who
boasts OF the Emperor Napoleon and the En-
press Eugene as standing ut the head of his
patrons. Surely some oil DisdeTi's pictures
OF their Imperial Maiosties. must have reached
the Republican shores of the New World
and those who have seen them will have oh
served that while tue sun disdains 10 flattrr
even the victor of Soterino, he does full ius-
tce to the gentle and lovely features of Her
Gracious Majesty the Empress.
The hrst notion of The inventor OF these
tiny pictures, was TO make a unitofm collec-
uon of great fpeoples miniatures, TO be re-
produced in thousands. aud turned into COM
m,rIial channels. The pictures all at full
length. are taken upon prepared pasteboard,
about three inches long by two wide
aud the durability of the impression is se-
cured by the application oil varnish or
other tnid, which preserves the portrait from
being eiiaced by manipulation. As "A matter
OF course. as soon as the likeness of pubIic
Characters were scattered over the town aud
displayed Ia the shop windows, vanity did
the re~t These miniatures were a novelty,
aud their cost by the quantity was triiing.
THIS Was the way they came 10 be adopted
as visiting caids. Despairing OF seeing
themselves In the shop wind, TVS in company
with the Emperor, Empress. Prince Napo-
Icon, Princess Clotildc, ex-Kiug Jerome,
hiag of Sardinia, Queen of England, FRINGE
Aiberi, Dake OF Malakoh, Duke OF Magenta.
aud hundred other celebrities. the throug
of unAnomas commenced carrying ubour
with them pocket full OF paotograp
which just fitted their card eases,--thus sug-
gesting the use which might be mad OF them.
the innovation was well received hy other
guknoWns, aud vas speedily Initials d; until,
at lat, IL Is gradually being adopted By
mon Distinguish people. end viii doubt
less end, a. have previously hintsd. by sup
planning altogether the Old fashioned card.
except In rare iHsganers, where the latter
could not well be laid asidss -, for example,
the eeremonious wits of odicisl persoaages.
Ia point ui TACT, il woald be rather a stretch |
OF fancy To suppose Hts Exeeliency Coan;
WaleHskI driving about tawn, and leaving |
a the residence Ut fofelga Ministers, good !
hsmored lace and pertiy person, instead vi
The formal announcement OF bis call.