, 1859-12-02
Photographic visiting Cards.
Corresponding Of the y. 7. E1rtAs.l o

IAk14. 1bNT4da?% A1F. u, lH49.
As took some pains to tell you, last week,
and 10 demonstrate By actunl comparison, the
larger sizes Of photographs. produced By
American artists, far surpass in beauty and per-
fection Of detail those OF their European rivals;
but SAID potling Of the queer Little pictures, in
vented in Paris, within year past, md since
issued in thousands and tens oil thousands, in
The form Of visiting cards. Hare you yet adopt
cd, in New York. The Parisiau fantasy OF lcav-
ing your portrait at the doors Of your acquaint-
ances, instead OF an upmeauiag bit Of paste
board with your name engraved across the mid
d'e:-Stop! If memory serve me, the knick-
crbockers long since deserted the ancient mode
Of having their cards printed, to employ the
nim5:e t1n gers Of peripatetic pennen, III manu-.
featuring at the rate or q hundred per hour, i'll
all the possible and impossible styles Of chiro-
graphy, severely simple or profuseLy ornate,
those conventional representatives OF indiFldu.
ality. Here, visiting cards are going out Of
fashion, almost ss rapidly as eflnollne, wn.eh.
as you are doubtless aware, is eotI1phng, among
the f.ir Parieennes, at rite fearful for eoutuy-
tres and spectators in horse hair to conten-
plate. Our feminine leaders of the Ton hare
giyen up their crinoline and their cards toGe.
ther, finding it infinitely moro distingue to ap-
pear in robes Of less extravagant rotundity,
and to leave for their friends, photograph In
instead Of name.
Fhe.idea of these Llliputiau resemblances
was first conceived, believe, by Disderi, ia.
NOUS md successful Partisan artssi, who boasts
Of the Emperor Napoleon and the Empress Eu-
genie Is standing at the bead Of his patrons.
Surely, some Of DisderIs pictures ol their In
peeial Majesties, must hare reached the Repnb-
[ican shores of The New World, and those who
bare seen them will have obscryed that while
the sun disdains 10 datter eren the victor Of
Solferino, be does full justice to the gentle and
love'y features Of her Gracious Majesty the En-
pfess.
pictures. was to make uniform collection Of
great peoples ministries, to be reproduced in
thousands, aud turned into commercial chm
ne1s, These pictures, all at full length, arc Ia
ken upon prepared pasteboard, about three
inches long BY two wide, and the durability Of
the impression is secured By tls application. Of
rarnish or other fluid, which preserves the
portait from being eaaced by manipulation. as
d matter Of course, as soon as the Hkenesses Of
public characters were scattered over the town,
and displayed in the shop Windows, vanity did
the rest.
These miniatures were notelty, and their
cost By the quantity, was t1if'ng. This was
the way they came to be adopted as visiting
cards. Dcspairing Of seeing themselves in the
shop windows in company with the Emperor,
EMPRESS. Prince Napoleon, Princess Cloti1dc,
Ex-King Jerome, King Of Sardinia, Queen Of
ENGLAND, Prince Albert, Duke Of Malakoff, Duke
Of Magenta, and = hundred other celebrities,
about with them pocket full Of photographs
which Just fitted their card cases thus sug-
gestinS the use which might be made of them.
The innovation was well received By ether un-
knowns, aud was speedily initiated; until, at
last, it is gradually Being adopted By more dis
tinguished people, aud will doubtless end, q
ge,her tue old:fashioned card, except IN rarc
Instances, where the latter could not well be
laid aside; as for example the acrimonious vis-
its Of official personages. In point Of fact, it
would be rather stretch Of faucT to suppose
His E1cellency Count Wa1ewski driving. about
torn. and leaving at tbs residence M i; Of foreign
son, instead Of the formal announcement Of his
raIt