It’s Still a Card, Right?
Historic Anniversaries
The year 2020 was the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment better known as the women’s suffrage amendment. My 2020 card featured a photograph of a Christmas tree decorated with portraits of famous suffragists. Megastars such as Susan B. Anthony, Alice Paul, Harriet Tubman, and Sojourner Truth appear on the tree. Being an educator, I included portraits of lesser-known African American suffragists such as Ida B. Wells and Frances Watkins Harper.
One of my friends who received the card asked me to name all the women in the photograph. She said she didn’t recognize some of them. When she asked that, it made me feel good because my card piqued her curiosity.
Vintage Cards
The internet has provided me with a virtual feast of vintage card images. My Pinterest account contains some of the loveliest designs I have ever seen. Besides the internet, libraries and museums have great collections. Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore has jaw-dropping collections to see in person while the Smithsonian offers access to their collections online. On top of that, card enthusiasts can start a personal collection by purchasing reasonably priced card lots on Etsy or eBay.
These vintage-inspired cards below feature movable parts and illustration board wrapped with fabric. The two cards on the ends make use of a portrait of Charlotte Brontë.
