The History of Business Cards

The History of Business Cards

Business cards have a long history that dates as far back as the 15th century in China. The business card began as a “Visiting Card” or a calling card. It was a social convention that was bound by some very strict etiquette rules. The visiting card was introduced to Europe in the 17th century during the reign of Louis XIV who was known as the Sun King. In the same century the practice began to take hold in English society. It was actually required by the upper class when visiting others to present your visiting card to the butler and depending on who you were visiting, the lady or the man of the house would decide if they wanted to visit with you.