A Wealth of Information

 Visiting Cards

(This is taken from S. A. Frost's Laws and By-Laws of American Society.)

THE fashion of cards is a variable one. It may be the fashion to-day to have them large, square, and printed upon rough surfaces; to-morrow they may be small, long, and highly glazed; now they are engraved; now written. In fact, there are too many freaks and changes to mention all; but etiquette requires always perfect simplicity. An ornamental visiting card is simply detestable.

Glazed cards are not now in vogue, but they may be again, and ladies’ cards are cut much smaller than those used by gentlemen.

Persons who have a city and country residence must have two sets of cards, with the residence at the time of calling engraved on the left-hand corner, thus:

MRS. JOHN POTTS,

No. 27 --- STREET,

while Mrs. Potts is in the city, and

MRS. JOHN POTTS,

CEDARS,

when Mrs. Potts is out of town. Visiting cards must never bear a business address.

All merely honorary or official designations must be omitted, except in cards designed for official visits only.

Officers of the army or navy may use their title or not, as preferred, as:

CAPT. JAMES BURNS,

U.S.A.,

Or,

JAMES BURNS,

U.S.A.,

are either of them correct, the former having the advantage of putting the receiver in possession at once of his visitor’s rank, the latter allowing scope for promotion or change of title. For militia officers to use their titles upon visiting cards is a piece of affectation utterly absurd. Members of Congress are always entitled to use the “Hon.” before the name on their visiting cards, even after their term of office has expired.  Judges and physicians are also allowed to use their titles; but no other professional men.

Cards should be engraved in simple Italian characters, and without flourish, embossed surface, or even ostentatiously large letters.

Every visiting card should have the address in small letters in the left-hand corner. If used when in a strange city, the usual address may be scored in lead-pencil, and the temporary one written under the name, thus:

MR. AND MRS. WILLIAM  LEIGH,

No. 207 --- STREET.   ST. JAMES HOTEL.

It is optional with unmarried ladies to use the prefix to their names.

Gentlemen without military, naval, official, or professional titles generally omit any prefix but may use the abbreviation “Mr.” if they desire.

Autograph visiting cards are conceited affectations. The autograph of distinguished characters may be desirable; but it is precisely that class of people who would be least likely to use them. A neatly engraved card is en regle; printed ones look cheap, and are not suitable for visiting.

Persons in mourning should use cards with black borders.

Young unmarried ladies may use separate cards, or may have their names added to their mother’s, thus:

MRS. JOSEPH BANKS.

MISS LUCY BANKS.

Leave-taking cards have P. P. C. (pour prendre conge) written in the right-hand corner.

Wedding cards are in the best taste when perfectly simple.

It is a breach of etiquette to leave a card after being informed that the person visited is at home.

When you have been informed of an important event in the family of a friend-a birth, a marriage, or a death-if you are unable to offer personal congratulation or condolence, you may leave a card within a week.

If you reside in another city, you may send your card by post, with the word “felicitation” under the name. A mournful event calls for a letter.

A card left for two or more members of the same family must have a corner turned down.

A card with a photograph portrait upon it, though to a certain extent fashionable, is a vulgarism that can never obtain general favor. If you are a gentleman, your visage may be reserved by the chambermaid, to exhibit as “one of her beaux,” and no lady, surely, would ever display her face on a visiting card.

Gentlemen presenting flowers or other gifts to ladies should always attach a card, and over the name write, “With compliments of.”

Christmas gifts, when sent, should be accompanied by the card of the giver.

Loans of books or music, when returned, should always be accompanied by the card of the borrower.