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Visitors left calling cards at the front door or in the front parlor even if the person were home. These cards were used to determine who had visited and deserved a visit in return. Calling cards were the social equivalent of today’s business cards. They likely originated from the cards that tradesmen used in the 19th century to attract business. This is the plate an engraver would use to print Clara Barton’s calling cards. This plate reads: “Clara Barton, President, American National Red Cross. Delegate of the United States of America. Vienna 1897. Washington, D.C.” This calling card most likely was used while Clara Barton served as a delegate to International Red Cross Conventions during her tenure as president of the American Red Cross.
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