Decorating Tip: Displaying Antique Trade Cards

Bertie prefers—no, he demands—that his home is always elegant and interesting.  Sure, he went out this morning and rolled in something stinky in the backyard in a rare dog-like moment, but that has nothing to do with his visual style.  So, he was out talking with the four doves who live in the ceiling fan on the back porch (they went away over the weekend on a little vacation, but they’re back today) and together with the two wild cats that I feed (to keep them from eating the doves), they devised a new way to display my growing collection of antique trade cards.  It seems they consulted with my father who assisted.

We went out a found a lovely, wide antique china bowl.  My father and mother provided oasis which was carved to fit.  Then, using wires that my father bent into holders, I arranged the cards like flowers in the bowl, covering the oasis with black pebbles and colorful marbles and stones.  The result is an interesting centerpiece which is viewable from all sides.  It’s the sort of thing which you can look at for hours and see something different.  The colorful antique cards add life and vibrancy to a part of the room which was rather dull.

Needless to say, Bertie is satisfied.  The doves and cats aren’t allowed in the house, but I think they’d approve.

You can do something similar quite easily and inexpensively.  It’s a great way to display antique and vintage ephemera, certainly, however, you can also display photographs or whatever appeals to you.