The Mandarin Business Card
date: label: date made
content: 1960s
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: On front side, a white card featuring “The Mandarin” in black ink. A Chinese character in a circle appears above “The Mandarin.” There are two sides that are supposed to be creased in, given the outlined fold, thought they have not been folded. On the left side features the “Mandarin Specialties” and on the right side, lists the kinds of cuisines. On the bottom of the card lists the times and days the restaurant is open and closed. The back side of the card is red and blank.
label: Description
content: Business cards are cards bearing information of a company or an individual, typically of the name and contact information such as telephone and address. Historians agree that origins of the business card can be traced back to 15th century China. Known as “visiting cards” then, they served as a card to announce one's intention of meeting another. Visiting cards were an essential self-promotion tool of the upper classes, a personal advertisement and an introduction. In 17th century Europe, merchant's stores used “trade cards” for effective advertising. By the 19th century, as a result of the rise of the printing press, many merchants advertised their businesses by printing their cards in newspapers. Today, many businesses and individuals use business cards as a way to promote their industry or themselves as a point of reference.
label: Description
content: The Smithsonian collection features several business cards from The Mandarin at different restaurant locations. While most Chinese restaurants do not typically carry business cards – some carry ephemera such as matchbooks or keychains and even take-out menus, Chiang passed out business cards that featured her restaurant logo, contact information, business hours, and her signature dishes. In this way, Chiang set herself apart from other Chinese restaurants by self-promotion through business cards.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Asian Pacific American Business
label: See more items in
content: Food
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift from Cecilia Chang
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2013.0127.03
label: accession number
content: 2013.0127
label: catalog number
content: 2013.0127.03
objectType: label: Object Name
content: card
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: paper (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 5 in; 6.35 cm x 12.7 cm