Beatrice Morgan Steyskal Greeting Card Collection
name: label: Creator
content: Steyskal, Beatrice Morgan
acqinfo: label: Provenance
content: The collection was donated to the Archives Center by Verna Suit in May 2010.
creator: label: Creator
content: Steyskal, Beatrice Morgan
setName: label: See more items in
content: Beatrice Morgan Steyskal Greeting Card Collection
abstract: label: Summary
content: Collection consists of greeting cards with machine woven and  handwoven fabric inserts. Also included among the materials are machine woven fabric bookmarks.
bioghist: label: Biographical / Historical
content: Beatrice Morgan Steyskal, a resident of Grosse Ile, Michigan, began collecting greeting cards with decorative silk jacquard inserts in the 1950s. The cards were designed for holidays, birthdays and other occasions and featured a wide variety of pictorial subjects and greetings woven  in considerable detail. Steyskal and her family exchanged the cards on important occasions, while other cards were collected without being used. Most of the cards in the collection were created by companies such as Hallmark, American Greetings, Gibson, Ambassador, and Laurel. 

A weaver herself, Mrs. Steyskal collected cards featuring inserts of handwoven fabric sent to her by other weavers, as well as a few of her own creation. In addition, she collected samples of woven bookmarks and cards featuring woven bookmarks. Many of these materials were made by the Quality Weaving Company of Philadelphia. After Mrs. Steyskal's death in 1990, the collection was given to Verna Suit by Mrs. Steyskal's husband George.
physdesc: label: Extent
content: 2 Cubic feet
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1955-1985
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives Center, National Museum of American History
identifier: label: Identifier
content: NMAH.AC.1198
objectType: label: Type
content: Collection descriptions
label: Type
content: Archival materials
arrangement: label: Arrangement
content: The collection is arranged into four series.

Series 1, Commercial Greeting Cards, circa 1958-1970; undated 

Series 2, Cards Created by Handweavers, circa 1955-1981; undated 

Series 3, Quality Weaving Company Materials, 1959; undated 

Series 4, Related Materials, 1961-1995; undated
processinfo: label: Processing Information
content: Collection processed by Anne Jones, 2012.
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents
content: The collection consists of commercially produced greeting cards, handmade greeting cards, and woven bookmarks. It also contains a scrapbook and several personal items related to weaving, a few letters, and a photo-copied article about weaving.

Series 1, Commercial Greeting Cards, circa 1958-1970; undated, features die-cut windows with small pictures or designs woven on silk or similar fabric. The cards are arranged in alphabetical order by occasion and by size, beginning with the largest. The dated cards are placed first in each group, followed by the undated cards. The Christmas cards are further divided alphabetically by subject. 

Series 2, Cards Created by Handweavers, circa 1955-1981; undated, includes samples with fabric placed in a cut-out shape within the design of a manufactured card. There are also cards that are entirely handmade. In addition, there is a scrapbook that consists primarily of handmade cards created by handweavers. 

Series 3, Quality Weaving Company, 1959; undated, consists primarily of materials created by this Philadelphia company. There are some woven bookmarks which closely resemble that of the inserts used in the greeting cards. Also included are letters from the company to Mrs. Steyskal. Sample stock cards and custom designs for woven bookmarks are included among these materials.

Series 4, Related Materials, 1961-1995; undated, includes an article about Christmas cards with handwoven  inserts and  a directory for the Michigan League of Handweavers.  There are also a  few cloth and paper bookmarks from unknown makers.