a rare collection of wedding cards

[padmanabha]

It is wedding cards that have caught the fancy of Kizhakkemadam Govindan Nair, a well known chronicler. Kizhkkemedam has a rich collection of wedding cards of VIPs of which a few are 100 years old. The size of the cards ranges from that of a match box, to that of a post card. The smaller ones have two or three folds.

“Sahitya Panchanan P K Narayana Pillai was a man of repute and th founder of critic movement. With his sharp criticism he never let any write go Scot free. But a grave error in his wedding card put him to shame and embarrassment. Writers who were subjected to his criticism enjoyed it” said Kizhakkemadam Govindan Nair pointing out the error. Instead of gruham (the venue of the wedding) it was printed as graham (Planet)” he said holding the wedding card which was printed in 1911.
Showing a simple card he said that wedding cards were a rarity in those days as everybody did not have the privilege to print wedding cards. I t was considered as a luxury. In his card collection he has got the wedding card of Dr, Punnen Luckose, the first surgeon of Kerala. The card which was printed in England is hardly two inches long and one inch wide. It has two flaps each bearing the letter P and L encircled by silver motifs. The wedding was at Puthupally Nilackal Church (1917). This is an invitation for the dinner which was held at VJT Hall.
Invitation cards are either printed in Malayalam or in English and many begin with a salutation to God. A few bear RSVP (RESPONDEZ SIL VOUS PLAIT) at the bottom. The color is usually white.

The wedding card of Mariam Chacko and Andrew Mathew (1919)is heart shaped with three folds. Invitation for the dinner held in connection with the wedding of Princes Karthika Tirunal with Col. G V Raja (1934) at the division cutchery bearing the insignia of Travancore, printed on ordinary Italian paper.

Invitation card for the upanayanam of the grand son Diwan Sankara Subbair (1899) wedding cards of Kandathil Vrughese Mappilai(1909) AND Mahadeva sastri the curato of Archeology Department(1909) , daughter of High Court advocate S.KRISHNA IYER and that of Mathew son of prominent businessmen J Andrews(1919) are a few to name in his collection.

[Alan]

Amazing! And very interesting!