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Birthday Card

1974 (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 birthday card showing a cartoon dog with droopy eyes, printed in England by The drawing board, given to Jennifer Leaver (nee Davies), 1974.
Physical description
Colour printed birthday card showing a blue dog with flowers. Inside the card, the messages are printed and written.
Dimensions
  • Length: 24.5cm
  • Width: 17.5cm
  • When open width: 35cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'There's lots of time/this Birthday/ To sing and laugh/ and play/ For everybody's wishing you/ A very happy day!' (printed inside)
  • 'To Jennifer / Lots of love, John xxxxxxetc.' (handwritten inside)
  • 'Raphael Tuck'
  • '© The Drawing Board, Inc.'
  • '3171/T3/16'
  • 'With love to someone who is two / years older' (printed on front and part handwritten)
Credit line
Given by Jennifer Leaver
Object history
One of 269 cards donated by Jennifer Leaver (nee 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.609-2010

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Record createdMay 5, 2011
Record URL
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