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Birthday Card

1971 (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 paper
Brief description
Colour printed card depicting collections of flowers in the top right and bottom left corners, a greeting is printed in the centre, printed in England by K.G. Given to Jennifer Leaver (nee Davies) on her fifteenth birthday.
Physical description
Colour printed birthday card showing two bouquets of flowers in the top right and bottom left corners. A greeting is written in the centre of the cover. One sheet of paper folded in four.
Dimensions
  • Height: 19.2cm
  • Closed width: 10.6cm
  • Open width: 21.0cm
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'The joy of / flowers and / sunshine / The songbird's sweet / refrain, / Fill your heart with joy / and music, / Till your Birthday / comes again' (Printed on front of card.)
  • 'With all GOOD WISHES / on this / Special day.' (Printed inside card)
  • 'with / love from / Lau / xx (Hand written inside 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.
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.562-2010

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Record createdMay 6, 2011
Record URL
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