Visiting cards, also known as calling cards, were popular among both men and women in the 19th century. People making a social visit to a home would present themselves by leaving a card, often with a domestic servant. Specific etiquette depended on age and status. Whether plain or elaborately decorated, the card typically listed only the bearer’s name, leaving space for a message.
These cards belonged to Timothy Stanton (1883), a member of CU’s Prep School in 1877-78. Stanton subsequently enrolled at CU, graduating with the university’s second class. He went on to a distinguished career in paleontology.
Prep School at CU
The first year of classes at CU Boulder, 1877-1878, were all preparatory school classes — essentially high school classes intended to prepare students for college-level work.
52 students completed the first year of Prep School classes:
- 16 Women
- 36 Men
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Photo by Casey A. Cass (top)/ Courtesy CU Heritage Center