Victorian Calling Cards... Do's & Dont'sVictorian calling cards find their ancestral roots in the 17th century and were very common during the reign of the French King Louis XIV.During that time they were known primarily as visiting cards. They were used extensively by the upper-class to announce their arrival at someone’s home or social function. With some people the cards could be very ornate with engravings of various pictures such as this visiting card of Johann van Beethoven, brother of Ludwig van Beethoven. (from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
With others a plain card and elaborate calligraphy announced the visitor's name and position similar to the visiting card of Kaiser Wilhelm (also from Wikipedia). 
By the 19th century the Victorian calling card was an essential staple in the life of the upper class gentleman or lady. If this was your position in life you would have a special card tray by the front door of your home crafted out of silver or some other valuable material. If someone wanted to visit you, either they or their servant would hand your servant a calling card which would be taken to you (if you were home) or left in the card tray by the front door. If you returned a card to his home you were open to the visit.
If no card came or it came in an envelope the visit was turned down. This system obviously only works when you had the means to afford having servants to answer your door. Elaborate rituals of etiquette were firmly in place when using Victorian calling cards. Let's look at it from the visitors side:
You could fold the card in different ways to send discrete signals to the receiver.
The cool Victorian would have designs printed on the back so that when a card was folded a new design would appear. Folding cards lasted from the 1840s to the 1940s but then fell out of fashion. You have to remember that during the Victorian age it was difficult for a young man to be alone in the presence of a young lady so calling cards became a way for young men to send secret messages to that special young lady of the household.
There were 15 different rose messages alone and combining that with all the various colors... well, you could say a lot. Some Victorian calling cards were more straightforward and known as acquaintance cards. These would be handed out by young men at dances or church functions that could range from a simple “may I take you home” to the ultimate... a request for a kiss. If the young lady approved... she would keep the card. If not she would tell him to buzz off in a very genteel Victorian way of course.
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