Family Calling Card Trends 1903

The pink and blue tinted cards were not socially accepted in 1903,  but what about the sizes and styles of for the and punctuation? – Not every young lady or gentleman who enters this world is presented with an engraved plate and cards upon arrival, but the babies of fashion are. The tiny card engraved with the new name and date of birth is tied by a little ribbon to the parents’ card... The fad that once existed for turning down the corner of a card intended for more than one person, is of the past. A card for each person called upon must be left. Fashion recognizes no petty economies. – San Francisco Call, 1903

Not every young lady or gentleman who enters this world is presented with an engraved plate and cards upon arrival, but the babies of fashion are. The tiny card engraved with the new name and date of birth Is tied by a little ribbon to the parents' card, thus, “Dr. and. Mrs. James Alexander Black.” and attached to it. “James Ream Black, born December 23, 1900.” It would be a mean trick to play on a girl, wouldn’t it, engraving and spreading broadcast such record of her age? A few years later the young person has another card engraved without the prefix, as “Dorothy Helen Jardine.” and thus it must remain until the debut permits “Miss.”

One item worth noting is that many of the newest plates have no period after the name. This is true of Mrs. Murphy’s, Mrs. Hobart’s, Mrs. Will Crocker’s, Miss Toy’s and others. It is a custom gradually creeping into America, this omitting of the period when it is unnecessary. It is omitted after book titles and the like. Two by three has been the conventional size for the young lady’s card, but some of the new ones art larger and it is said that they will soon be the same size as a married lady’s. Miss Bertie Bruce has a large card. Another large one is that of Miss Mary Crocker. The same rules for address and day at home are observed for the girls’ cards, as for mamma’s. The eldest unmarried daughter omits her Christian name, as “Miss Hager.” Younger daughters write the name in full, as “Miss Genevieve Carolan.” Sometimes sisters use one card and have it engraved thus; “Misses Borel.” 

Mother and daughter may do the same, as “Mrs. C.N. Ellinwood. Miss Ellinwood." the former name above the latter. Where the mother’s name appears, the card is as large as her own. Another combination card is that of husband and wife. This is used when they call together or sometimes when the lady pays “duty calls” alone. Leaving this card means “My husband sends his regards” and it usually means also “he does hate to make calls.” This is the longest card of all in some cases. Mr. and Mrs. Henry Crocker and Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Whipple Spear use cards almost four inches long by two wide. The pasteboard used now is very thin and in some cases it has a dull surface like that of kid-finished paper. It must be either dead white or cream to conform to good style. The pink and blue tints are not approved. 

A man’s card, like his hat, is much smaller than a woman’s. It is a domino shaped affair, seldom more than three by one and a half. The address does not often appear, unless, he uses his card in much traveling. In such a case, the city name appears in the right corner and the club’s, if he has one, in the left as, “Mr. Peter D. Martin, Pacific Union Club, San Francisco.” Charles “Rollo” Peters has his San Francisco address in one corner, his Monterey address in the other. Judges, professors, and the like leave off their signs of honor and become “Mr. Carroll Cook” or “Mr. Benjamin Ide Wheeler.” Army and navy men, on the contrary, display all the rank to which they are entitled and appear, as “Major General Young,” “Captain Frederic Johnston” or “Arthur MacArthur Junior. Lieutenant United States Army.” Doctors, too, use “Dr.” before their names.

When a death occurs and many messages of condolence are sent a card of acknowledgment is often issued in this form. “The family of General W. H. L. Barnes gratefully acknowledges your kind expression of sympathy and condolence. San Francisco.” The card is large and black-bordered. Cards issued for special reception days are exactly like any calling card, the day in the left corner. Thus Mrs. McNear has one reading, “Friday, the ninth of January.” The matter of type is just now so unsettled that hardly any style can be wrong. Not long since script was the only possible form of engraving. Lately, Old English and Roman types have come into fashion, but many still hold to script. Stationers say, however, that Old English is soon to be universal. Those who have had script usually have their new plates in one of the recent styles: thus. “Miss Crockett” in script, became “Mrs. Lawrence Irving Scott” in Roman letters.

The fad that once existed for turning down the corner of a card intended for more than one person, is of the past. A card for each person called upon must be left. Fashion recognizes no petty economies. – San Francisco Call, 1903

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia