Thursday 15 December 2016

Ephemera -- Prayer Cards

I order a steady supply of weird things from eBay.  Last year that included a packet of 25 or so sepia-colored vintage prayer cards.  They're small, about 3x4", and these date from the middle 1900's.  I'm collaging (desecrating?) them with some anatomical cuttings and other scraps, for a little book project I have in mind.  The cards are a centuries-old tradition in the Catholic Church.  They typically show a religious image on the front with a verse or prayer on the reverse, and are used to commemorate special moments (First Communion, Confirmation, funerals, etc.).  Many of them are quite beautiful.

3 comments:

  1. Oh we had many cards like this! (I'm from a big catholic family) ... I love how you've turned them on!

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  2. Whoa! I have altered photographs (mostly cabinet card photos from the late 1800s-early 1900s) but this is a FABULOUS idea Lynn!! I also collect these religious cards which are plentiful at antique malls and flea markets but they are just sitting in a box at the moment. Thanks for the idea.

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