A man's card is as severely simple and unadorned as the woman's. No ornamentation, no flourish in the lettering. Just plain, readable type or script engraved in black upon white. The card itself should be of polished, but not glazed, bristol board, the kind that is flexible and thin. Some gentlemen have their cards made of especially thin stock to avoid bulky card cases or waistcoat pockets.
A bachelor may have his home address engraved in the lower right-hand corner of his card, with the name of his favorite club opposite. If he resides entirely at his club, the name is engraved in the lower right-hand corner. It is bad form to have a business address engraved on one's social visiting card. An at-home day is never given on a gentleman's card, but appears in the lower left-hand corner of his wife's card. A bachelor is not expected to devote a definite day to the entertaining of callers unless he is an artist with a studio.
TITLES ON CARDS FOR WOMEN
A woman's visiting card should be engraved solely with her name, address and day at home. Any decorations such as gilded edges, crests or superfluous engravings are an indication of bad taste.
In America a lady never assumes any title other than Mrs. or Miss on her social card. There is only one exception to this rule: a professional woman may use her title of doctor of medicine, etc. In this case, even though she is married, she drops her husband's Christian names and signs herself Marian M. Browning, M.D.
A woman does not share, on her cards, the honorary titles of her husband. For instance, the wife of our president has her cards engraved "Mrs. Warren Gamaliel Harding." The wife of a secretary, judge, general or admiral does not use any title other than Mrs. Even the woman who is a successful physician should not use her title on her social cards, unless, as explained above, she is elderly. It is wise for a woman physician to have two sets of cards, one with her name and title, and with her office hours in the corner, the other with her name alone, and her house address in the corner. A physician's social card should be engraved simply "Miss Marian Mansfield Browning."
It is always better form to give in full the Christian name or names, as well as the surname. It is not tasteful to indicate by an initial only the husband's first name, and engrave his middle name, thus: "Mrs. J. Henry Williams." Both names should be given in full. It is not considered dignified to use abbreviations of a husband's name, as Frank for Francis, Alec for Alexander, Joe for Joseph. Nor should an unmarried woman use such abbreviations of her name as Polly, Sally, Dolly, etc.
The wife who is the senior matron of the senior branch of a family may drop both her husband's first and middle names from her cards, and have them read simply: "Mrs. Robinson." Her eldest unmarried daughter is entitled to use a card reading: "Miss Robinson." When the name is a very ordinary one like Brown or Smith, it is always wiser to use the Christian names to avoid confusion.
A spinster, or as the modern woman likes to call herself, the "bachelor girl," may not use cards engraved merely Miss Gray, unless she is the oldest daughter of a family. She has her cards engraved in either of the three following forms: "Miss Mary Hammond Gray" or "Miss Mary H. Gray" or just "Miss Mary Gray." The first initial should never be used, except when the young lady is known by her middle name, unless professional purposes demand it.
Mrs. John Jay Holmes
12 West Street