The last time I was in Salado, a small antique-y town just North of Austin, I found the cutest little silver tray.
It’s petite, measuring 8x10, and weights in at a hefty two pounds! It looks like the type of tray on which your butler might deliver a note or a cart de visite.
Since I collect cabinet cards and cart de visite cards, a few were added to the tray.
Carte de visite is a type of small photograph developed in Paris in the 1850s. The cards are the size of a calling card (about 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inches) and became enormously popular and were traded by friends and visitors. “Cardomania” spread quickly throughout Europe and to the United States. They were often filed in albums.
Take a look at a few of my visitors. They wore the fanciest dresses and hoop skirts.
This one even has pink flowers in her hair!
This was my nurse. She looks so much like my next door neighbor’s daughter!
This sweet little girl must have been a trick-or-treater. Or perhaps she came with her mother.
This little $8 tray rests perfectly on an end table in my
living room.
Hope you will stop in for visit. Don’t forget your calling card.
Please visit me at Potpourri Friday and link up!
Until next time, Honey
And while you are visiting, please visit with these ladies where I will be linking:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday at Coastal Charm
Tabletop Tuesday at A Stroll Thru Life
In the Knick of Time Tuesday
Twice Owned Tuesday The House of Grace
WoW at Savvy Southern Style
Treasure Chest Thursday From My Front Porch to Yours
My Romantic Home
Funky Junk Interiors
Twice Owned Tuesday The House of Grace
WoW at Savvy Southern Style
Treasure Chest Thursday From My Front Porch to Yours
My Romantic Home
Funky Junk Interiors
What a pretty way to display your cards. I can just see Jeeves presenting a calling card upon the silver tray! LOL!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful display. Love it.
hugs
Sissie
I'm glad you explained what the cards are...I had never heard of them before! Funny how they had fads, even back then.
ReplyDeleteThe tray is simply gorgeous and the price terrific! I love collecting silver trays and would have jumped on this beauty!!
XO,
Jane
That tray is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteHoney, what a great post! I love how you have displayed the calling cards on your cute little tray! This is so pretty!
ReplyDeleteHoney, what a great lesson on the history of these cards not to mention they are fascinating to look at. hugs♥O
ReplyDeleteLove the tray, love the cards, and love Salado! I've seen calling cards before, but your collection is a new revelation to me! Thanks for this enlightening post.
ReplyDelete-Revi
Great little tray and those cards are fantastic love the way you have them displayed...
ReplyDeleteWell, once again we are on the same wave length with Vintage Photos. I've been posting about my Vintage Photo Collection and offering some tips about how to use them in arrangements. And here you are with them arranged on the wonderful tray. Great photos and a fantastic Collection. Thanks so much for sharing them and the history behind them.
ReplyDeleteI've been collecting vintage photos for 2 years. I call them being adopted.
ReplyDeleteWould luv for my readers to discover your blog, will you please join our weekly party at
http://www.passionatelyartistic.com/2011/11/thanksgiving-showcase-tutorial-with.html
have a great crafting week!
Maggie
http://passionatelyartistic.com
That tray is just fabulous! And I love how you have the petite photos displayed on there. Tres chic!
ReplyDeleteJeanine
Your little tray is so pretty! Thanks for sharing about the calling cards~very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI love small silver trays. I have a few. I am so glad we don't have to dress like that anymore.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that people bent over a corner of the calling card to deliver a message. Different corners bent over meant different things. Love the tray and the price was certainly right!
ReplyDeletelove the tray! great idea for the old photos. Luckily I have alot similar to what u showed that are my family.
ReplyDeleteThe tray is gorgeous by itself, but paired with those antique photos really makes it grab your attention.
ReplyDeleteLovely!
Thanks for linking up to Knick of Time Tuesday!
Blessings,
Angie @ Knick of Time
Looks lovely resting there with all the ladies :) Laurel
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photos and I love the look against the silver tray!
ReplyDeleteI love old photos but didn't realize these were calling cards. I wonder if I have any in my stash? You have them displayed beautifully on the silver tray.
ReplyDeleteLove your new tray and what a neat collection of the photo calling cards! :-)
ReplyDeleteVanessa
I love the way you've put your tray to use.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child my mother had engraved calling cards, as did all the other officers' wives - she'd have to take her card to the CO's house when they moved to a new base.
These are so fun to look at! And your silver tray was quite the find! Hope you're having a good week!
ReplyDeleteLove the tray and the calling cards. They make such a lovely and interesting display. I have a collection of these cards, too, except the photos are of my great-grandmothers.
ReplyDeleteGreat !
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your day !
Pierre
Great post! I collect silver trays and have lots of old family photos, but I've never seen calling cards with photos on them. Now I'll be scouring the shops for them...not that I need any more old photos. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the size and shape of your tray.
The calling cards are so cool! I can see why you collect them. Your silver tray is very pretty. I'd love to find one like it.
ReplyDeleteDee
I love those pictures cards! What a wonderful way to display both them and the silver tray. That's an idea I may have to steal when I'm back home in Arizona! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCandy
I had heard of calling cards, but not picture calling cards! I love the concept of them (calling cards) if I only had a butler to collect them ;P
ReplyDeletexoxoxoxo,
Ricki Jill
PS I love your tray, too! Fun post.
Love your wonderful little tray what a great find. Your calling cards are fantastic. I love the pictures on them. So unique. Thanks for joining the party. Hugs, Marty
ReplyDeleteLove the tray, Honey. I am a tray collector and this is gorgeous!!
ReplyDeleteBarb ♥
Wonderful old photos...and tray to! Beautifully displayed together!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, I'm don't even have a hoop skirt, but I love your tray!
ReplyDeleteI have a bunch of old silver trays from Goodwill...thanks for the great idea for using them. Great post...thanks!
ReplyDeleteWhat a sweet silver tray! It's the perfect touch to your table and I love what you chose to display on it! Those are some fancy dresses!!!
ReplyDeleteThat is a beautiful tray and those calling cards are wonderful. Those are two of my favorite things...trays and vintage photos.
ReplyDeleteI love the calling cards, weren't their dresses wonderful? And you know I'm a sucker for silver trays!
ReplyDeleteKaree
This is fascinating! I knew people used 'calling cards' but didn't know about these with the pictures . . . so cool that you collect these! Love the way they're displayed on the pretty tray.
ReplyDeleteThe tray is gorgeous and I love the old calling-card photographs! Wow! Can you imagine dressing like that today? I just love looking at old photos. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteCindy
Thank you for sharing the wonderful photo calling cards. I am certain the little silver tray is exactly how our ancestors would have collected the cards when a guest arrived.
ReplyDelete