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The History of the Calling Card

According to an 1893 article in The New York Times, a society woman's calling card "follows her everywhere she goes, remains when she is gone, and is the recognized representative in the payment of social debts when personal attention is impossible." Gentlemen and children also dropped visiting cards along with these "ladies of fashion," primarily in the 18th through the early 20th centuries. Currently, some social hipsters revisit a once-outdated custom, bringing the social calling card back into vogue.

Time Frame
- Calling or visiting cards, first employed in 15th century China and later used by the aristocracy of 17th century France, became popular with England's nobility and nouveau riche in the 1800s. The Regency, Victorian and Edwardian eras (1811-1910) saw the most use in countries throughout Europe and in America.
Function
- The cards served a number of social purposes, such as a means of introduction, to further acquaintanceship, to express congratulations or condolences and to provide notices of arrival or departure. Card etiquette had strict rules. Generally, the bearer waited in a carriage, enlisting a servant to deliver the calling card. (The bearer folded a corner if delivering the card in person.) This first call rarely resulted in a face-to-face meeting as the conveyor generally expected to deliver the item to a servant and leave.
Benefits
- Stringent rules prevented awkward situations. Socialites desiring a relationship with a particular person or family dropped off a card and returned home. The receiver replied with their own card in a few days, inviting the initiator back for an in-person visit. If the aspiring socialite received the answering card sealed in an envelope or did not receive a return card, it meant to maintain social distance.
Identification
- Abbreviated French phrases relayed messages, such as "p.p.c.", or pour prendre congé, indicating that the bearer was relocating for an extended time, such as a season. To express other sentiments, card bearers wrote "p.f." for pour féliciter, "p.c." for pour condoléance and "p.r." for pour remercier---congratulations, condolences and thanks, respectively. Some card carriers had these expressions printed on the reverse in the corners. To relay a particular expression, the bearer folded the appropriate corner.
Considerations
- Appearances mattered in genteel society. Most visiting cards reflected simplicity and elegance. In 1922, Emily Post clarified the definitions for her readers. Women's cards measured approximately 2.75 to 3.5 inches wide by 2 to 2.75 inches high. Men's cards took on a longer, narrower aspect from 3 to 3.4 inches long by 1.25 to 1.5 inches wide. Post recommended a shaded-block font or a simple, engraved script, but advised against anything too ornate. Some cards bore neoclassical designs, portraits, a coat of arms and more. Today's social calling cards diverge far from Post's parameters, as bearers now order more stylized forms.

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