Overview
Greeting cards have a long and storied history, and while there is little academic study on the topic, there are few human records that carry as much sentiment as a simple greeting card. Greeting Cards have come to mark important occasions, rites of passage, and family celebrations of all kinds. From humble beginnings, this small human record has shaped the way we think about Christmas, Birthdays, and even death in ways that no one could have imagined. It is an important human record because it is deeply personal and helps mark the passage of events in the lives of givers and receivers. Through Greeting Cards, one’s personal history can be traced and recorded, and that is why this seemingly insignificant record form is so important in recent human history.
This proposed exhibit would share the history of Greeting Cards with patrons of a public library. There would be two major parts to the exhibit. The first part of the exhibit would provide an overview of the history of the Greeting Card and the major players. It would include a timeline, sample cards from the various companies and artists, and profiles of the major companies and pioneers in the in industry. Examples of these profiles can be found on subsequent pages of this website. The few books on Greeting Cards that were found as part of the research on this topic could be included in the display along with an information sheet that would include links and articles. This part of the exhibit would be fairly static once put on display, but would provide a general overview of Greeting Cards.
The second part of the exhibit involves the public and would be an ever changing aspect of the exhibit. Because Greeting Cards mark so many important passages and occasions in people’s lives, there is usually great sentimentality attached to them. Keeping this in mind, the public would be invited to bring a greeting card from their personal collection to add to the exhibit. Each patron could bring in a greeting card to put on display. The card would be put in a protective sheet with a piece of black acid and lignin free paper behind the card. On the reverse side of the sheet, a picture of the patron and a small narrative about the card would be included. The item would then be displayed by hanging it via clothespin on a line suspended around the main area of the library. This way each card could be gently pulled down and looked at and the story read without damaging the cards and without anyone having to touch the card itself. This would allow this part of the exhibit to appeal to all ages of patron, as anyone who has a favorite card could participate.
This proposed exhibit would share the history of Greeting Cards with patrons of a public library. There would be two major parts to the exhibit. The first part of the exhibit would provide an overview of the history of the Greeting Card and the major players. It would include a timeline, sample cards from the various companies and artists, and profiles of the major companies and pioneers in the in industry. Examples of these profiles can be found on subsequent pages of this website. The few books on Greeting Cards that were found as part of the research on this topic could be included in the display along with an information sheet that would include links and articles. This part of the exhibit would be fairly static once put on display, but would provide a general overview of Greeting Cards.
The second part of the exhibit involves the public and would be an ever changing aspect of the exhibit. Because Greeting Cards mark so many important passages and occasions in people’s lives, there is usually great sentimentality attached to them. Keeping this in mind, the public would be invited to bring a greeting card from their personal collection to add to the exhibit. Each patron could bring in a greeting card to put on display. The card would be put in a protective sheet with a piece of black acid and lignin free paper behind the card. On the reverse side of the sheet, a picture of the patron and a small narrative about the card would be included. The item would then be displayed by hanging it via clothespin on a line suspended around the main area of the library. This way each card could be gently pulled down and looked at and the story read without damaging the cards and without anyone having to touch the card itself. This would allow this part of the exhibit to appeal to all ages of patron, as anyone who has a favorite card could participate.