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Birthday Card

1957 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Jennifer Leaver has kept every single birthday card she ever received and she has given the Museum the first eighteen years worth. Jennifer was born in the mid 1950s and the collection provides a snapshot of the changing designs of cards during this period of change and development in the history of childhood. It is fascinating to observe different trends dependent on the age Jennifer was in each particular year. The cards demonstrate the interests of a girl growing up at this time, from cute and cuddly animals to parties and music.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
colour printed card
Brief description
Colour printed card for a one year old, depicting cartoon farmyard animals sailing on a raft by Molly Brett, printed 7 Grafton St London, England, given to Jennifer Leaver (née Davies), 1957.
Physical description
Birthday card folded in to four sections, landscape, with a vertical spine. The front on the card depicts some pigs, rabbits and a cockrell sailing a raft across a pond and a pig stranded in the water holding on the pole. There are printed and hand written messages in the middle of the card.
Dimensions
  • Width: 15cm
  • When closed and flat height: 12.4cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • To Wish you / A Happy Birthday (printed on the front of the card)
  • To wish you / Lots of fun on your birthday / and / Many Happy Returns. (printed in the middle of the card)
  • To jennifer / With lots of love / from / 'Auntie [Dossie]? (handwritten in blue in in the middle of the card)
  • The Medici Society Ltd. / 7 Grafton St. W1 / Printed in England / BS-G 106 (printed on the back of the card)
Credit line
Given by Jennifer Leaver
Object history
One of 269 cards donated by Jennifer Leaver (née Davies) that have been given to her on her birthdays from 1-18 from family and friends.
Subject depicted
Summary
Jennifer Leaver has kept every single birthday card she ever received and she has given the Museum the first eighteen years worth. Jennifer was born in the mid 1950s and the collection provides a snapshot of the changing designs of cards during this period of change and development in the history of childhood. It is fascinating to observe different trends dependent on the age Jennifer was in each particular year. The cards demonstrate the interests of a girl growing up at this time, from cute and cuddly animals to parties and music.
Collection
Accession number
B.350-2010

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Record createdJanuary 20, 2011
Record URL
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