Mingling with the Victorian elite, the aristocracy, was the social goal of the enterprising middle class. Desiring to introduce themslves to the aristocrats, the morning call became one way to further one's step up the ladder. Morning calls enabled the caller to introduce themselves to people, while it was a way to keep callers at a distance.
When one went to pay a call, it wasn't necessary to actually see the one you were paying the call upon. You may wish to leave a card announcing your presence in a new town, or that you've returned after a trip, or that you are leaving town. In that case, the caller rode around in their carriage, stopping at the houses they wished to notify. The letters PPC (for "pour prendre conge" or "I am leaving") were written on a card when announcing one was leaving town. The footman would go to each house and leave one of the callers cards (for the mistress), and two of her husbands (one for each) that the caller had written on whatever they were announcing. These were given to the butler who placed them in a calling card reciever, a dish sitting on a table or on the mantle.
A call could also be paid in hopes of improving one's social standing, or to introduce an unmarried daughter to someone with an eligible son or other male relative. When making a call with daughters, they did not have their own cards, but their names were listed by hand on your card. When a caller came in person to pay a call, they were shown into the parlor to wait while the butler went to see if the lady of the house was "at home". The lady may be out paying calls of her own, or she may not be recieving callers. That was quite all right as long as one didn't get caught. It was an effective way to avoid people one did not wish to see. While the callers waited, they had the opportunity to look through the cards laying in the card reciever to see who else had paid calls recently.
After receving a card or a visitor, the lady of the house was obligated to return the call, either in person or with a card.
During the afternoon, calls to known aquaintences took place. If one was well aquainted, the call was generally paid between 4 and 5, if you weren't that well aquainted with your hostess, calls were madebetween 3 and 4. If a caller did get to see the lady of the house, they were shown into the drawing room, located on the first floor of the house (second story, to Americans). Ladies left their parasols on the ground floor, gentlemen took their riding crop and hat with them.
A proper call only lasted 15 minutes. If someone else came during their call, it was polite to ease their way out after introductions (if the other caller was a social equal, or superior and didn't mind the introduction). With another person present, conversation stayed comfortably in the areas of the weather and other generalities, without mention of people who might not be aquaintences of everyone present.
Refreshments weren't given until the last half of the 19th century when "teas" became popular.
Continue on to page 2 to learn more about Calling Cards
Learn a little of the interesting customs and history of calling cards. The third page is a gateway to several styles of free calling cards made by The Complete Victorian. Please take any of them and enjoy them.
