Calling Cards

Calling cards made their first appearance during the late 1600s. They were small, decorative cards with hand-painted borders. Engraved in the center of the cards were the individuals' names and hereditary titles. Through the years, their appearance changed. The decorative borders gradually went out of style. By the 1800s, the borders disappeared completely and calling cards began to take on the look that they have today.

Early calling cards were left by the European aristocracy when paying calls on fellow aristocrats. This practice eventually spread around the world. In the United States, it evolved into a very formal ritual with very stringent rules. Upper-crust women reserved one day a week to stay at home and receive calls. Other society ladies, knowing which day to call, stopped by and handed the butler their cards. After perusing the card, Madam decided whether or not she was receiving at that time. If she chose to receive your call, you were led to her drawing room where you chatted for a short period of time. You never stayed too long since she had other callers to receive. If she chose not to see you, you left your card and went on to your next call. This was easily done since, in most towns, calling days were set up by neighborhood. It could be uptown on Mondays, downtown on Tuesdays, and midtown on Wednesdays. Thursdays might be set aside for the east side with Friday reserved for the west side.

There were also rules concerning how many cards to leave and to whom they might be left. A woman could leave but one card as she was only permitted to call on another woman. A man, on the other hand, could leave up to three cards; one for the man of the house, one for the lady, and one for the couple. Turning down one of the corners of the card signified that it was intended for all the ladies of the house.

Although still practiced in military and diplomatic circles, "calling" is no longer practiced by the general population. However, calling cards still exist and are used for such diverse purposes as gift enclosures, informal invitations (although they are too small to mail), and to hand out to people one might meet in social situations, much as one would a business card in a business setting. Indeed, the calling card was the forerunner of the modern business card.

Calling cards are always engraved in black ink on small white or ecru cards. The cards come in a variety of sizes. Each size designates its owners' sex and marital status. The correct sizes are listed below:

Children twelve and younger	2 1/4 by 1 3/8 inches
Single women	2 7/8 by 2 inches
Married women	3 1/8 by 2 1/4 inches
Men	3 1/8 by 1 1/2 inches or 3 1/2 by 2 inches
Married couple	3 3/8 by 2 1/2 inches

The etiquette for calling cards is the same as the etiquette used for weddings. Since calling cards are formal social cards, names and social titles are used. Men and women under the age of eighteen, however, do not use titles. Some older women, especially those who are divorced, choose not to use their titles either.

Calling cards should be ordered with envelopes if they are going to be used as gift enclosures.

Is it proper to use "Ms." on calling cards?

Since calling cards are formal, "Ms." is not used. Women, however, may drop their titles altogether.

Is it proper to use abbreviations?

All titles except "Mr." and "Mrs." should be written out. Some titles, however, may be abbreviated when space is a problem. "The Reverend," however, is never abbreviated. If additional space is needed, the middle name may be omitted.

Is it proper to use initials?

Initials are not properly used on calling cards. All names should be written out.

Is it proper to put addresses on calling cards?

While it is proper to have your address engraved in the lower right-hand corner, it is more personal to add it in your own handwriting. This honors the recipient since it suggests that you do not give your address out to just anybody.