The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-12-30
The New Years Gard
How IL Began , AT the Many
Processes II Went Through.


What an ordinary. uninteresting item
Ia our social life is the modern visiting
card! But this was not always so.
though 1t has barely been In existencs
$50 years. 1t owed it's nri~'n to the
custom of writing the name or some-
times a message on the back OF play
ing card, says a writer in the Wash
ington Post Occasionally one par
ticular card was chosen with intent.
and the duchess of Dorset received an
apt epigram I'm return for one she sent
to a well known clergyman. Inc
verses end as follows: You sent me
ten hearts, the tithes only mine. SO
give me one heart and burn tother
nine"
Toward the end 49, the last century
the visiting cards C the upper claeges
we're yeritable wo-xs OF art, and by
their means msny most interesting
types OF engrayjh-< survive. They were
OF varying size. suit the majority not
larger than abcat two and half inches
by two niche while today those used
by gentlemen are two inches by one
and a half inches and by ladies four
inches by two and a half inches. There
were many square ones used about
1880 to 1890. One belonging to an Eng
fish society leader of a century aRo
oates from Hole street, Cavendish
square, spot associated with Lore
Byron. Her husbands card is smaller
and has a sketch of the family home In
one corner, which still remains In the
possession OF their collateral descend
ants The notion is so good 1t deserves
to be followed, for It would certainly
add to the interest Of the cards we
leave to each other II they bore thu
semblance of our friends homes a.
well as their names. .-.
Another example shows that history
repeats itself, for, although issued In
the eighteenth century, the lady was
eat home on Monday" as many mod
Ssh DANES are now. Visiting en- blanc
as it was called--viz., by leaving a caro-
was novelty then, and on many
which come from Italy an persona" Is
written. showing that they had been
left and not sent by servant. ~
These are the simpler class OF cards.
vast number of others In use at this
time show the ruling powers In deco
ration. Hundreds OF the decorative
designs bear the names of contem-
porary duchess, or, rather, according
TO the ancient spelling, "dutchesse-
ST. Adams, Bolton and Grafton among
the number The latter. according to
Horace Walpole. saved her life by
playing loo when I'm Rome, instead o.
going to a party at a palace where tn
roof fell in. LIZ ...
Many OF the tickets" as visiting
cards were called in those days. were
engraved with architectural buildings
IN Rome, Berlin and elsewhere, anc
long in fashion. They were sold In
packets. The names were frequentfC
written upon them. and even whe
they were printed II was rare that on
particular pattern was kept for any
special person. The head Of a well
wnY
visit to Rome In 1888 kept, and has
handed down, those left by his &C
uuaintance. on these figure the arol
OF Titus, ST. Peters, the castle OF st
Angelo and many other lions of Rome
Not few OF the visiting cards Of
this period recall nothing so much as
the funeral monuments OF those days
Sometimes the names appear on wei
engraved vases, sometimes on chin
ney pieces. Some are square, wit
supporting columns, scrolls and cur
tains: some display festoons of flow
e-s and variety OF animals.
The cognomens Of naval officers
emerge from the midst OF spikes, an
chors. ropes, flags and other naval in
sigma, while military officers appea
surrounded by helmets, cannon, tent
and soldiers. Artists figure amid pal.
cites. brushes and other adJuncts OF
their art. mostly accompanied by 3
graceful female form, and every kind
or musical instrument has been callet
into play--lyres, harps, trurapets an,
harpsiehords-for musicians. Birds O
many kinds hold scrolls bearing the
names In their books, ar they are
wtltten on their breasts or outstretched
wings Animals often play double
part. The name OF Hare, for example
is represented as rebus by that little
animal running at full speed, while .
goat figured on the fashionable design
OF 1885, Archery, agriculture and spor
generally left their impress on the Wis.
iting card.
About 1916 pure white cards with en-
hogsed borders and large embossed let
terings were the prevalent mode. His
tory again repeats itself-the daugh
ter's name appeared then with he
mothers, as II does now. How many
OF the titles then extant have died out
III very often happened that the ladyt3
cards and the gentleman's were OF tbs
same size. but not always.
For 9r ''ticket" the Duchess Of Leedi
in fT64 favored very pretty engraving
of Chinese figure looking over low
doorway. with an Angiicized pagoda al
the side. On anC her card bearing
famous lords name figures powerful
engraving Of the sphinT. With tn,
Egyptian pyramids In the rear.
Many a great dame of those days had
her name on her visiting card sur.
rounded by a framework held by Gu
pids. These were far prettier than tht
somber looking cards covered with
close set, engraved, horizontal lines ant
very deep border. Monograms and
coronets figured on some OF them ant
have left to posterity fine specimens Of
steel engraving, but the most elaborate
of heraldic cards were generally for
,eign. and some of the foreign embas
sizes employed colored crests occasion
ally introduced In the center.