Victorian and Edwardian Greeting Card Collection
Scope and Contents
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.
Dates
- Creation: ca.1850-1910
Language of Materials
English
Conditions Governing Access:
The collection is open for research use.
Conditions Governing Use:
Copyright for unpublished materials authored or otherwise produced by the creator(s) of this collection has not been transferred to California State University, Northridge.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.
Historical Note:
The library created this collection of materials for study and research.
Full Extent
0.42 Linear Feet (1 box)
Abstract
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.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Purchase, 10/10/2016
- Title
- Guide to the Victorian and Edwardian Greeting Card Collection
- Date
- 2016-10-10
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections & Archives Repository
University Library
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge CA 91330-8326 USA
818-677-4594
asksca@csun.edu