Visiting card
![Visiting card of Johann van Beethoven, brother of Ludwig van Beethoven](/Images/godic/202501/03/VisitingCardJohannVanBeethoven3550.jpg")
![Visiting card of Kaiser Wilhelm](/Images/godic/202501/03/Visiting_Card_of_Kaiser_Wilhelm3550.jpg")
![Visiting card case](/Images/godic/202501/03/BrownCallingCardCaseBedfordMuseum3550.JPG")
![A Oscar Friedheim card cutting and scoring machine from 1889, capable of producing 100,000 visiting cards a day](/Images/godic/202501/03/Art_of_Bookbinding_p239_Oscar_Friedheim3550.png")
A visiting card, also known as a calling card, is a small paper card with one's name printed on it, and often bearing an artistic design. In 18th century Europe, the footmen of aristocrats and royalty would deliver these first European visiting cards to the servants of their prospective hosts solemnly introducing the arrival of their owners.