Visiting Cards Of Celebrities Often Illustrated by Memorial Postage Stamps....

Paris, France: Fernand Hazen Editeur. Very Good+. 1971. 1st Edition; 1st Printing. Hardcover. B&W Illustrations; Signed by the author. This book is in Very Good+ condition and is lacking the dust jacket. The book and its contents are in generally clean, bright condition. The text pages are clean and bright. This copy has been signed on the front endpaper by the author. "Visiting cards became an indispensable tool of etiquette, with sophisticated rules governing their use. The essential convention was that a first person would not expect to see a second person in the second's own home (unless invited or introduced) without the first having first left his visiting card at the second's home. Upon leaving the card, the first would not expect to be admitted initially, but instead might receive a card at his own home in response from the second. This would serve as a signal that a personal visit and meeting at home would be welcome. On the other hand, if no card was forthcoming, or if a card was sent in an envelope, a personal visit was thereby discouraged. As an adoption from France, they were called une carte d'adresse from 1615 to 1800, and then became carte de visite or visiteur with the advent of photography in the mid 19th century. Visiting cards became common among the aristocracy of Europe, and also in the United States. The whole procedure depended upon there being servants to open the door and receive the cards and it was, therefore, confined to the social classes which employed servants. If a card was left with a turned corner it indicated that the card had been left in person rather than by a servant. " (from Wikipedia); Signed by Author .