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Birthday Card

1960 (printed and published)
Artist/Maker
Sampson Low (publisher)
Place of origin
London (printed and published)

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
Children & Childhood
Greeting Cards
Object type
Birthday card
Materials and techniques
Colour printed card
Card
Colour Printing
Brief description
Colour printed birthday card for a 4 year old with an illustration Noddy and Big Ears, printed and published in London by Samson Low, given to Jennifer Leaver (née Davies), 1960.
Physical description
Colour printed birthday card folded in four with a cut out window where a strip of card can be pulled along to reveal different illustrations including a fairy, a window and a pilot. The front of the card depicts Noddy and Big Ears flying in a car with wings past a pink castle in the clouds. A large '4' is printed in the top left of the card in red and gold. There are printed and hand written messages in the card.
Dimensions
  • Width: 15.9cm
  • Length: 11.8cm
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'YOU ARE / 4 / TODAY / HAPPY / BIRTHDAY' (printed on front)
  • 'Hello there! Noddy's come to see / If you're as hapopy as can be! / Your birthday's here, oh happy day! / "Hurray!" says Noddy. "Hip hurray!"' (printed inside)
  • 'WITH LOVE FROM' (printed inside)
  • 'Auntie Doris- Uncle Reg.' (Handwritten inside)
  • 'Enid Blyton's / NODDY'
  • 'Copyright 1956 by the Noddy / subsidiary rights Co., Ltd / Made & Printed in Great Britain / Sampson Low, London'
  • 'S.L. 600A/21 B'
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
Birthday
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
Young V&A Collection
Accession number
B.390-2010

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Record createdMarch 1, 2011
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1193248/birthday-card-sampson-low/
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