
Under The White Hot Spot
This
feature has been going strong since 2001, so we decided to give it a face
lift. While we’ll still share some of today’s greeting cards on this
page, we also wanted to give a nod to our industry’s past. As such,
we’ll feature some vintage greeting cards, let you see them and judge for
yourself how cards have changed over the decades.
These
are fascinating cards because we’ve found them in all sorts of places—from
lawn sales to estate sales, antique shops, old book stores, stuck in old
books we’ve purchased. Some are from our own personal history—“keeper
cards” we just couldn’t throw out. Since most of these were greeting
cards which were sent to others, you’ll see faded ink, cursive lettering,
childish scrawls as part of the inside of the card. We’ll do our best to
describe them to you in all their glory and containing a visual and
written history of how we, as individuals and as a society, communicated
with one another.
AND,
if you’d like to share some cards of your own, feel free to send them
along. We suggest putting two thin squares of cardboard on either side to
protect it. If you want it back, be sure to send a large enough envelope
with sufficient postage for us to return the card. Above all, if you can,
supply us with a little history of the card—who it was sent to and by
whom—and when, we’d love to hear about it. Give us your name, city and
state and an email address where we can contact you. We won’t publish
your email address, only your name and location—and not even that, if you
request it.
Please, no more than three cards at a time—and we can’t promise what we’ll
use and we can assume no responsibility for their return. We’ll take
great care with your cards, but things do occasionally go astray.
Also,
please take note:
·
No x-rated verses or artwork
·
Send sufficient return postage in a large envelope for return of cards
·
Send your contact information in case of questions
·
Don’t send anything you would be heartbroken to lose; submissions can
and do get lost.
Send
cards to Sandra Miller-Louden, P.O. Box 485, Grantsville, MD 21536.


Before you peek-a-boo at the inside below, stop! What rhymes with
“order?” Pick a few good words, read on and then (and only then!) check
out the inside verse.
This 5x6” card is an early example of a die-cut; primitive by today’s
more intricate standards, but still charming in its own way. The gabled
roof slants upward on the upper right hand margin and there’s a slight
indentation for the chimney, upper left. The Tag Line outside—Best Wishes
To The Happy Family—plus the bird’s eye view (If the bird is sitting on
the windowsill) of Mom, Dad and Baby tells us right away that indeed,
“Congratulations are in order.”
Figured out yet what the inside line will be? Scroll down, if you
haven’t already—“Just heard of the arrival of a brand new Boarder!” We
love the fact that the verse is just as fresh and timely today as it was
50+ years ago. Once again, the scan doesn’t do the inside justice. Here
we’re treated to not only a die-cut stork holding a baby in a blanket that
actually swings as if it’s airborne, but the stork pops up in our face as
it prepares to drop baby down the chimney into the waiting arms of mom and
dad.

Opening the inside doubles the closed outside width – 10”. But our
friendly stork’s wing span adds an additional 2.5” to the length—this is
one major stork. The wings fold down and check out the inside card—you
can see the perforation down the center of the bird’s head and beak.
All this makes for a perfect inside fold that never gives itself away
simply by looking at the outside.
Finally, notice the gender of the baby isn’t noted. The clever artwork
outside gives us an equal mix of blue and pink (although we admit we’ve
never seen a pink roof before) and inside, although the baby’s blanket is
pink, our “Brand new Boarder’s” eyes are blue and the haircut is a
distinctively male style.
So, although we’re not sure if Loretta (her name’s on the envelope) had
a girl or a boy way back when, we do know card companies, even today,
prefer some verses to be as generic—therefore as wide-reaching—as
possible.