Description
Greeting cards, often sent as part of
holiday celebrations, became popular in Great Britain and the United States in the 19th
century. They gradually replaced letters due to improvements in printing technology and the
mail service in both countries. These ready-made cards served to help people share
well-wishes in the Victorian and Edwardian eras, when expressing feelings in person might be
seen as inappropriate. This collection contains examples of greeting cards to be exchanged
for various holidays, including Christmas, New Year's, and Valentine's Day, as well as
several examples of birthday cards. The Christmas and New Year's cards are notable in that
they often feature animals, flowers, fairies, or children rather than the wintry or
religious themes that are more common today.
Restrictions
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of
this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.
Copyright status for other materials is unknown. Transmission or reproduction of materials
protected by U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.) beyond that allowed by fair use requires
the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be
commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owners. Responsibility for any
use rests exclusively with the user.