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Birthday Card

1967 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

This birthday card, one of a group of 269, was given to and kept by Jennifer Leaver (née Davies). The cards were given to her by a range of relatives and friends and span from 1957 to1975 - the dates of her first to her eighteenth birthday.
Jennifer was born in 1957 and the cards reflect progression of typography, imagery and graphic styles for birthday cards, spanning over three decades.

The cards also reflect the changing and age appropriate imagery chosen by greetings card companies as well as the choices made by those who selected and sent the cards to Jennifer as she grew older.
Some of the earlier younger cards commonly show childish scenes often including illustrated baby animal characters, whereas later cards reflect perceived changes of interest for a growing girl such as images of flowers, fashions and music.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Colour printed card
Brief description
colour printed card with an illustration of a girl and a boy making a toast with glasses of champagne made by Valentine's of Dundee, given to Jennifer Leaver (nee Davies) in 1967 on her eleventh birthday
Physical description
Colour printed birthday card showing a boy and a girl toast with glasses of champagne, surrounded by flowers and butterflies. Inside the card, the messages are printed and written on a paper insert.
Dimensions
  • Length: 16.5cm
  • Width: 11cm
  • Opened width: 22cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • A Birthday Toast (Printed on the front of the card.)
  • Cheers! / Hope it's the greatest / while it's here / And nice-to-remember - / All the year! (Printed inside the card.)
  • I bought this card a week ago / so that I could not forget your / big day - Then I missed it. / - Sorry - N. (Handwritten in blue ink on the first inside page of the card.)
  • with lots of love - from Aunty Nellie / + Uncle Arthur - / x x (Handwritten in blue ink on the inside page of the card.)
  • Blue "V" with two small globes in front. VALENTINE's / Dundee (Printed on the back of the card in the bottom right-hand corner)
  • 7966 01 / 18 / MADE IN GT. BRITAIN (Printed on the back of the card in the bottom centre.)
  • "N" shape" NORCROSS / NEW YORK (Printed on the back of the card in the bottom left-hand corner.)
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
This birthday card, one of a group of 269, was given to and kept by Jennifer Leaver (née Davies). The cards were given to her by a range of relatives and friends and span from 1957 to1975 - the dates of her first to her eighteenth birthday.
Jennifer was born in 1957 and the cards reflect progression of typography, imagery and graphic styles for birthday cards, spanning over three decades.

The cards also reflect the changing and age appropriate imagery chosen by greetings card companies as well as the choices made by those who selected and sent the cards to Jennifer as she grew older.
Some of the earlier younger cards commonly show childish scenes often including illustrated baby animal characters, whereas later cards reflect perceived changes of interest for a growing girl such as images of flowers, fashions and music.
Collection
Accession number
B.508-2010

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Record createdMarch 30, 2011
Record URL
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