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11 Vintage Mid-Century Modern Bridal Shower Cards
Today’s batch of mid-century modern bridal shower cards came to me in a plastic bag, and represented over 20 years in the life of a married couple. Not only were there cards like this from the 1940s, there were all sorts of Christmas and birthday cards from then until into the 1960s!
The bride even scribbled down what gift each attendee brought, just on the inside of the card. That’s one way to keep organized!
Lots like this are one of my favourite aspects of my work: as I go through everything I found, I learn a little bit of someone’s story. That story may never be told again, but bits and pieces of it go out into the world here—and will get woven into someone else’s story! I think it’s neat, and a lovely way to explore history from the point of view of regular people.
Our first piece has some potential as a seamless pattern. The bad part about a lot of greeting cards from any era, but especially this one, is the texture of the paper. Textured paper is very difficult to work with in a photo editor!
Some of these images are great candidates for redrawing or running through Vector Magic, which I will tell you about in another post.
Among the most common themes of midcentury shower cards are, of course, umbrellas. Umbrellas in all colours and sizes. Umbrellas with flowers. Umbrellas with rain! So many umbrellas. By the time I get through showing you these different cards, you will be sick of umbrellas.
The sweet hand-drawn floral border is beyond cute, however, so I can forgive the repetition of umbrella umbrella umbrella.
For Your Shower. Very simple and elegant little pink buds and silvered branches. I think a cute pattern could be made from these flowers, with some creative cut-and-paste work—or redrawing them from scratch.
Another theme that props up for bridal showers is the use of hot air balloons! I have never associated them with weddings in my life, but more than one card artist did in the 1940s-1950s, for some reason.
I love the way this image is composed: the greeting written in ribbon; a rose-filled watering can; a very simple colour scheme of blue, white, yellow, and red. The cascading roses do seem a little dangerous, being pointed like that. Perhaps not a great message, but still an overall pretty picture. And the ‘shower’ part! Note the little rain drops.
This card is cute. I like the gold and pink motif, with a few little blooms for flavour. The bells along the side make a great stand-alone graphic of their own! What elements can you pick out of this card that would make interesting patterns?
More bells, more silver, more roses! The addition of little bluebirds is delightful. I am not a huge fan of this textured paper, though the birds make it worthwhile.
Speaking of birds. Look at that! He’s even wearing shoes, what a polite… duck? Stork? A duck in duckies would be funny. Multiple themes were combined in the above bird’s card, from the umbrellas right on down to literal presents. Perfect shower card mascot, A+!
We cannot have a collection of bridal shower cards without a lovely bouquet. Note the silver bits and the little butterfly. A very sweet, simple graphic for this kind of card!
What I like about this bridal shower card—aside from how simple it was to save—is that it’s a little gift. What you’re seeing here is what you actually get: that’s it, that’s the card. I forget what it said inside, but it really is a present-shaped card, and it’s beyond cute.
Lastly, this bridal shower card would have been attached to a gift. That typeface is iconic for 1950s-related projects.
Which card is your favourite?
Ta-ta for now,
P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
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Holy Bananas It’s Been a SUMMER.
Y’all.
Some folks are likely wondering where the heck I went. I’m still around, but most of my time is tied up in a completely different project.
You see, mom and I started running a brick-and-mortar store back in 2020. There was a business partner, but she had other plans and buggered off—leaving us in the lurch. This shop is on a back street in a small town and I’m working on getting things together that we ought to have had back then, too.
Like street signage saying what we are. In-store promotional material, bag stuffers, that kinda thing. Looking at whether or not we can pull off a direct mail campaign.
I’ve also been getting treatment for ADHD since September 2023 and that has been something else. Trying to get the issues I’ve had (since 2019!) with shortness of breath during exertion dealt with, too, and I’m just starting to be taken seriously.
Dealing with the medical system is exhausting. The guy that diagnosed my ADHD was a pediatrician and bariatric doctor, so once he got my mood stabilized he was only concerned with my size despite my own concerns about my treatment. I still bounce between projects like a meth-addled squirrel and decision paralysis is actually worse. Oh, and, what impulse control? What’s that?
So I’m back to looking for someone else who can work with me on this. My GP is going to handle my Vyvanse prescription, at least.
I’m better than I was, but not ideal. I really don’t know if I could handle a normal job, even, which is also not ideal. My usual state is “running around in circles screaming”, but because it’s not the “hyperactive child” type of ADHD, I look pretty calm! Everything is weird and this has been my brain for years.
I am still working on things for this blog and website, it’s just had to move to side project status. Over the winter I’ll be busting my butt on the store’s blog, online store, and e-mail newsletter, so if any of that interests you, you can check it out at treasuresbythelocks.ca.
Maybe, eventually, we’ll be able to afford to change the name. 😀 That is A Story, too.
A proper newsletter will be forthcoming here, and the store is starting to take shape. The Paper Girl e-store will be digital products only—if you want to get your hands on vintage ephemera and smalls, you can do so at the Treasures by the Locks store or on my Etsy. More listings are going up on those sites, too, as I have so much material and not enough room.
In the meantime: I have drafts to tweak and get out there. Yay!
Ta-ta for now,
P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
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Old or Not? Dapper Young Men Pose at Niagara Falls
Although this Niagara Falls group shot, featuring three young men dressed in their best, looks and feels old—or is at least grungy as all hell in my hands—I’m not completely sure.
It has this clarity that’s extra-odd for any picture, let alone an old one, though I’m always remarking about how crisp antique cabinet cards look.
In fact, this antique photograph reminds me of one of those souvenir photos you can get in Niagara Falls, Ontario—if you’ve been, it’s likely you’ve wandered by the place on Victoria Avenue and looked at the examples listed outside. It looks like a really cool way to get a souvenir, though I’m sure none of the costumes would fit somebody my size!
A Google Lens search of the photograph came up with a lot of references to Billy the Kid. I, uh, don’t think so, Google.
All of the creases and the grime appear on the real thing, but… well, what do you think? Old or not?
Oh, and as an aside, I obtained this piece before generative AI became a thing—so it’s definitely not AI.
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Check Out This Vintage Niagara Falls Souvenir Postcard Folio
This week I’m popping in with a vintage Niagara Falls souvenir postcard folio that you can use to make your own junk journal folios.
Souvenir postcards have been a thing for many years now, and it was very common to find folios like this at shops in major tourist spots. Each one contained a bunch of photos or postcards area attractions, and the whole kit could be mailed to loved ones or kept for yourself. It was a great way to remember a location without spending a ton of money.
The old folio itself is very basic, but it’s an excellent size for junk journaling shenanigans.
When printed and cut out, the file below will measure approximately 6″ x 10.25″.
Click to open the full-size image in a new tab. Or, you can make use of this PNG template, instead, which will work best with clipping masks.
That’s all for this week. I’ll see you again soon with more royalty free vintage graphics that you can use for your projects.
P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
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10 Adorable Antique Easter Postcards You’ll Love
Today’s antique Easter postcards are beyond cute.
Y’all, my collection has a ton of Easter in it, so I had lots of material to choose from for this week’s post. There are fluffy bunnies, sweet ducklings, and round little chicks; in fact, there’s so much cute that I don’t know where to start.
So I’ll just begin with something silly.
If you don’t have your own eggs, store bought is fine. The only salvageable part of this card was its main graphic, and what a stunner it is. Those chickens look surprised. I can’t blame them, that egg is bigger than they are! You could take the chickens and use them on their own without the big blue egg if you really wanted to.
With Joyful Easter Wishes The cool part about a lot of these antique Easter postcards is that they’re on a metallic background. They might be part of a series, it’s hard for me to say—truthfully, I scanned these a while back and don’t remember what logos were on them.
I love how the third chick has its wings wide open.
A happy Easter to you This one is admittedly cuter if you don’t look too closely at the chicks.
Easter Greetings from the most unimpressed chick ever. So young, and yet, so done with everything, judging by the look on its face. Note how one of the flower stems is curled around the big ‘E’.
Easter Greetings! Lily-of-the-Valley makes an appearance in a lot of Easter cards and not just this batch. Lilies in general, as you’ll likely note from this post of 15 religious Easter images.
Best Easter Wish Are they on a boat? It sure looks like it, or in a bowl on water. It’s a very strange postcard, probably some kind of symbolism but I’ll be damned if I can figure it out.
Vintage Easter postcards with ducks
Easter Joys You didn’t think I’d deny you adorable Easter ducks, did you? Come on now, I’m not that cruel. This one even has a neat little hat.
A Happy Easter to you. A perfect little duck, fluffy and yellow, a prime example of what makes an excellent antique Easter postcard. Don’t pay any attention to the Bluebird of Crappiness in the top corner. Seriously, what’s with that? Everything else is fantastic.
Antique Easter bunny postcards
FINALLY.
Beauteous bunnies. Plump bunnies. Flowers. An egg. Utter perfection.
JESUS CHRIST And now your requisite BUNNY JUMPSCARE.
It’s like one of those medieval bestiaries where the artist has never seen a live rabbit and is guessing what one looks like based on vibes and drunken stories.
At least the flowers are nice!
I hope you enjoyed this week’s selection! Until next time, ta ta for now.
P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
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Breaking the Death Pile and Other Tidbits
I use affiliate links to share products I like and use that you might like and use. I make a little bit of money when things are purchased through those links, at no extra cost to you. Win-win!
My stash of antique ephemera takes up half of the back wall of my tiny office, which itself is very small, though I could condense it onto one shelving unit with the proper storage bins.
I have two of these 4-tier shelving units that are holding everything from binders full of antique cards to unwieldy 1800s-era bibles. So far so good!
Today, I’m scanning the contents of the pictured box, which is a mixture of 1890s advertisements and other ephemera. Pieces are set aside once they’re scanned, then they’re photographed for listing on Etsy, then they’re put away until they sell.
Oh my Gods I need proper organization but that requires money I don’t have.
The pieces from this box are, for the most part, from a lot I purchased in November 2022. They’re so beautiful—and varied, too!—with all being in excellent shape. This lot is a constant reminder of why I like antique ephemera so much.
Here are some of the pieces that sold already:
- An 1897 floral pocket calendar
- An 1880s Monkey Brand Soap trade card
- This trade card from 1878 for Capt. M.V. Bates at W.W. Cole’s Circus
- A delightful Heinz folding advertisement
- Several antique paper lace cards
So, is it worthwhile to sort through old ephemera? Absolutely, especially for things like the above, where they’re a little unusual and they’re in excellent shape. Each piece has been wonderful. The ephemera I’m scanning? Equally delightful.
If you spot a mixed lot like this, please do yourself a favour and pick it up. You don’t know what you’ll find!
Scanner Blues
I run a Brother MFC-J497DW that I purchased in January 2020. It’s my scanner, it’s my printer, it is an utter workhorse and it serves me well.
But I’m noticing that the light isn’t as bright, it makes more noise than it used to. I think the scanner part is giving up the ghost, and not in a fun haunted way.
Sad. 🙁
I’m going wild with scanning as much as I can while I can because I just don’t know when it’s going to die. So, if you hear a horrific wailing noise at some point in the next few months, that’s me. Alas, alack, etc. My next scanner will have to be something a little more rugged and not an all-in-one, I think, I’m just not sure what or when. I’m always taking suggestions.
New Ways to Support the Site, Plus Plus
Supporters can now make one-time payments through my tip jar or recurring payments with a monthly donation. All money earned goes toward keeping the site running (and paying my bills, obviously).
The final feature that I’m working on is a membership site. It’s where all my images and files will live, and is a much better deal than buying different things as they’re released. “Please look forward to it”, as they say.
Thanks for reading! This site will be back to its regular programming very shortly, and your patience is appreciated.
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Vintage Photograph of a WWI Soldier
A brief look between the CanadianSoldiers.com uniform guide and this vintage photograph leads me to believe that this is from the First World War. A young man in Service Dress sits before a scenic backdrop of mountains and a lake. He appears serene, perhaps a bit amused.
Try as I might, I couldn’t locate any information on either the soldier or the auction where I purchased this photo. I think it was at some point over the past two years. The question is, as always, when—I’m going to have to start keeping track of that!
Do you recognize the young man in this vintage photograph? Or, for that matter, do you have old pictures of family members that served in WWI or WWII?
The First World War changed the face of war in several ways: first, by ushering in the era of tanks; next, by the development of the first warplanes; and, finally, by forcing medicine to adapt to the brutality of trench warfare. One example of that last point was detailed in Dr. Lindsay Fitzharris’ book The Facemaker, the story of Harold Gillies, pioneer of facial reconstructive surgery.
You’ll get why if you take a moment to think about how machine guns were the most common weapons in WWI, and trench warfare resulted in a lot of horrible facial injuries.
That’s why I find WWI interesting: so much changed in such a short time.
Anyway, read Dr. Fitzharris’ book, if you haven’t. It’s on my reading list!
I wonder what our soldier witnessed during his tenure. Did he live? Is he one of the honoured dead, or did he get to come home?
If you recognize him and know the answer, please get in touch with me. I’d love to know.
Thank you for joining me this week, I’ll see you again soon.
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6 Vintage Cabinet Card Frames for Crafting
This week, I come to you bearing vintage cabinet card frames that you can use to make your own neat pictures! Remember, all you have to do is click the image and it’ll open in a new tab. You can download it from there.
Cabinet cards became the professional photograph of choice during the 1870s and remained that way for about 20 years. After that, personal photography became so cheap and common that they gradually fell out of style.
I like them for their size and presentation: most cabinet cards have the name of the photographer underneath the picture, or on the back of the card. Some photographers have ornate logos that are their own little pieces of art, like this one, for instance:
When I edit a cabinet card, I like to create a layer for separating out the frame so that I can save it as its own file. Some eras’ pieces are better suited to this than others. As photographers grew more confident in the process, they did some fascinating things with the card itself—scalloped edges and embossing come to mind.
That’s why cabinet card frames are valuable pieces of digital vintage for crafting.
You can start with something simple, like this, by Sharp Studios in Hamilton. We already have their logo up top! All of the frames in this post are .png, so it will be simple to just plop them on top of your images. You can thank me later. 😉
Turnbull & Sons was located in Ireland and Britain. When they assembled their cabinet cards, unfortunately, they wound up covering part of their branding. Whoops.
W. Mercer was in Edinburgh. This one’s a bit grungy from age, which really helps sell it.
This cabinet card frame is one of my favourites! The fancy edges, the gold text at the bottom—it’s so fancy!
A simple frame, lacking ornamentation or photographer name.
Now this is a beauty! It shows its age, but the decorative elements remain obvious.
Thank you for joining me this week, and be sure to tune in next week for more vintage images.
A little note to readers!
P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
Make sure you don’t miss out on anything that happens on my site!
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Happy New Year From The Paper Girl!
Bonne Année! Happy New Year to all of my fabulous readers and visitors! 2023 sure was a doozy, wasn’t it? My goodness. What a ride.
My household made it through the year and we’re looking forward to another, this time without any lawn tractors tipping into the drink. I don’t think I’ve mentioned that here, but I might eventually. I’m a busy lady! There’s other stuff to talk about!
No, it wasn’t me. I just drive into posts and fall off the mower, I don’t drive it into the river! Is that worse? Oh gosh. I swear I’m a professional.
2023 was a year of enlightenment, sort of, in that I learned I have ADHD and started getting help. The next step will be to get my PCOS poked and prodded at, as that’s likely a big part of my body being a bit of a jerk. I didn’t manage to get the job I was after, which just means it wasn’t ready for me.
This coming year will see more content on the blog, a membership site, and more growth, which means more things for you to look at and download!
About the Bonne Année Happy New Year Real Photo Postcard
A hand-coloured real photo postcard from the early 1910s, most likely, it’s one of a handful of French cards in my collection. It is charming as heck. Here’s hoping the kid helps bring some good luck to all of us this year, eh?
What are you looking forward to in 2024? Share your thoughts in the comments below, let’s talk about it and make all that good shit manifest for us!
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P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
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These Two Vintage Santa Images Will Make You Smile
I come to you bearing the gift of vintage Santa images—just in time for Christmas Eve!
The Santa Claus of today, with his red suit and white beard, became popular after Clement Clarke Moore published “Twas the Night Before Christmas”. He was a minister in the Episcopal tradition who penned the poem for his daughters. It introduced us to some of the major aspects of today’s Santa, like his reindeer-drawn sleigh and magical ability to enter a house through the chimney—without getting caught.
The first of our vintage Santas is from a mid-century card that, if I recall correctly, may have been sent out by a television station. I scanned these so long ago that I don’t remember! He’s wearing his characteristic red suit and hat while he relaxes in front of the TV.
This Santa Claus, and every other similar depiction, came from artist Thomas Nast’s 1881 drawings in Harper’s Weekly. This Santa was a jolly soul, with his pipe, bright red cheeks and nose, and his cargo of presents for children! You can see Nast’s depiction on The History Channel blog. Coca-Cola further popularized this version for their advertisements!
This vintage Santa wound up on my Instagram because he amused me.
I can’t decide if he looks like he’s been enjoying a bit of green Christmas cheer, or if he finds something funny but doesn’t wanna tell anybody. I’m going with the first option. He’s looking way too sleepy-cheerful otherwise.
The above Christmas picture was from another mid-century card, the inside of which is below.
As always, just click on it to open in a new tab. You can download the full-size file from there!
I also went ahead and prepared a version without the banner text, too, for whatever purpose you want. Have fun with it.
This batch of vintage Christmas took way too long because my external drive was giving me issues, so I’m kind of… eyeballing it warily and hoping it holds out for a bit longer, pleeeeeeeease. I would back everything up on Drive if I didn’t have so darn much. Maybe I need to be selective about what original files I hold on to.
If I don’t manage to post anything for tomorrow—I’m at the house where the internet is awful!—have a safe and merry Christmas. I’ll be back soon to share some updates if I don’t get around to posting more images this week.
xoxo,
Missie
P.S. Consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my newsletter to help support the site. This is a passion project, and earnings from products, affiliates, etc. help me spend more time writing and editing.
The Paper Girl
Antique & Vintage Ephemera Since 2019
