Last summer, I purchased a great big lot of midcentury greeting cards. They represented 20 years in the life of a married couple, from before their wedding in the 1940s to Christmases of the 1960s. Each card from the bridal shower was carefully notated with what gift the attendee brought. The cards were all stored in a plastic bag and kept together, fairly flat.
Finds like that are one thing I enjoy about doing this sort of work—you get things that show you a good deal about the life of another person. That’s just kinda neat, is all.
Our first piece has some potential to make up an interesting seamless pattern. The bad part about a lot of greeting cards from any era, but especially this one, is the texture of the paper. That said? They’re a great candidate for redrawing or running through Vector Magic.
Common themes among midcentury wedding shower cards are hot air balloons, flowers, and umbrellas. So many umbrellas. Y’all, I have never seen so many umbrellas in clip art in my life. The delicate, handpainted blooms and accessories are extra-sweet in this era, however. Nothing too complex. Simple and soft.
Bells, pale pinks, roses, and gardening themes also dominate this landscape. You’ll find a lot of bells in wedding cards, too. So. Many. Bells.
The… duck? Goose? Bird with ridiculously long beak? Whatever it is (with its fancy shoes), it could work for other purposes. Spring celebrations, perhaps? Baby showers? I love how cheeky it looks.
Lastly, this bridal shower card would have been attached to a gift. The typefaces are so neat, and very stylish. The original card’s text is in silver.
What’s your favourite?
Ta-ta for now.
By the way, if you like what you see here, why not buy me a coffee?