The calling cards, seen above, were used in the early 1900s to develop friendship. Nowadays, business cards serve a similar, yet professional, purpose. Photo: Patty (Stutzman) Paulus
In the early 1900s, the exchange of calling cards was essential in developing friendships. These cards were left at the home of each person the individual went to visit and were left on a tray in the entry room or parlor table. Several examples of these cards are in a frame displayed in the Woodbury Heritage House. It was fun for me to see one of these cards with the name of my great-grandmother, Mrs. J Stutzmann, with the original German spelling of my last name.
As time went on, these types of cards became “business cards” and are still used today in professional situations. In our personal interactions, we now exchange email addresses with one another, and we find out lots of information about someone without seeing or speaking to them.
Woodbury Heritage House Museum & Gardens, located at Marsh Creek Park on the corner of Radio Drive and Lake Road, are open for free tours. Open house dates include 1–4 p.m. on August 11 and 25 and September 8 and 22.
Patty (Stutzman) Paulus is a board member of the Woodbury Heritage Society. Discover more at woodburyheritage.org.
