Cards of Days Gone By

I'm back from a trip to Colorado, teaching workshops at Simple Pleasures in Colorado Springs and then visiting my grandparents on the Eastern Plains in a little town called Wray. I got to experience all the weather Colorado has to offer - a warm day Friday, snow Saturday and Sunday and warm temps on Monday and Tuesday. Since I was out that way , we decided to fly the kids into Denver on Saturday night after I had completed classes in Colorado Springs - so that I could pick them up and travel on down to Wray and everyone could get a nice visit in for a few days.

On Saturday night, the drive from Colorado Springs back up to Denver turned from a slightly drizzle of rain into a full blown winter storm - extending the usual 1 hour and 15 minute drive to 3 white-knuckled hours of blizzard fun! I hadn't driven in these conditions since my college days in Boulder, Colorado - but I remembered to take it slow and managed to get to the airport, get the kids and find a hotel for the night.

The visit with my grandparents was great (always is) - and my Grammie, born in 1920, always shares lots of stories of growing up on a farm, living through the depression and is eager to share with her grandkids lots of details about days gone by. I get out to see them as often as I can - and we are planning a big celebration next year in honor of her 90th birthday.

Returning to Seattle, I was catching up on some things at my desk - and happened upon a fun coincidence. A friend had given me a Greeting Card catalog from the 1930's (from The Process Corporation Card Company of Chicago, Illinois) - full of custom cards that you could personalize and send out in the mail. The colors were quite different from todays colors (purple, black (lots of black!), oranges) of Christmas, though there were some reds and greens to be seen. I turned to a page that contained this card:

 

What an unusual color scheme, I thought. We are always trying out different color schemes at Memory Box, posting different combinations onto an idea wall for upcoming releases and projects. The more I looked at the card though, it seemed kind of familiar. And no kidding, 12 inches away from the catalog, on my desk was the new Martha magazine...

 

The aqua's, the orange-reds, the creams - even the black text! Isn't it mazing how color schemes are re-invented again and again - and what you think of as brand new might be a classic? I find the cover of the magazine beautiful - just as I do the card.

The fonts are similar (not exactly the same) - they do lend a certain whimsical effect to the whole composition:

 

Here's a close up of the lettering on the card, and below is a close up up the magazine cover

 

The magazine is updated brilliantly, while still retaining a really beautiful vintage look.

Browsing through the rest of the catalog, I found a lot of other interesting greeting cards.

 

This one, an intricate steel etching, was probably more of what I expected in terms of Christmas style. So detailed, the image is amazing - and looking closely it reminded me of the way we chalk a card to color it in.

I am on the hunt for more vintage cards - to add to a growing collection to be able to see what is new and what is old...and what has been re-invented again!

Comments

[Janice]

I enjoyed reading this! I love vintage cards. What a great collection you must have! I thought the first card looked like a Dr. Seuss illustration. Thanks for sharing.

[tami]

What a great post Dave. I too enjoyed reading this post and I love anything vintage. Glad you made it home safe and sound. Thanks for sharing your travels with your fans. Happy weekend.