Scripture Pet Collectible Cards

People in the Victorian and early Edwardian eras seemed to love beautifully decorated printed cards. Valentines, Christmas cards, postcards, and advertisements for businesses and products were collected and traded by adults and children. 

And it's not uncommon to see decorated cards displaying Bible verses.

My understanding is that these cards were used in Sunday School, to teach Christian doctrine to children.  

Over the years, I've found several examples of Victorian religious cards at estate sales. They are usually no larger than about 4x6"; some are as small as business cards. Some are pretty self-explanatory; others are rather puzzling.

This lovely card showing birds and fruit quotes a verse from the Anglican Church's Canticle "Benedicite, omnia opera."

This one, ornamented with flowers, quotes a verse from the New Testament book of Titus. The spelling of "Saviour" tells me that it, too, was probably distributed in England.

Some of the Victorian Scripture cards' images conjure up more questions than answers, though. I'm not sure what connection the verse from St. Paul's letter to the Romans, "We are more than conquerors, through Him that loved us," has to do with an envelope decorated with a single pink rose and three puppies of assorted breeds. 

The pug puppy, in particular, doesn't seem to be enjoying this Sunday School lesson.

And how a quartet of kittens swimming in a stream relates to Jesus being the Good Shepherd who knows His sheep is also lost on me. It is possible that the card showing the swimming cats was produced first, and the verse from the Gospel of John was added later. 

The back of the swimming kittens card displays what is arguably the best-known verse in the New Testament: John 3:16.

The verse is surrounded by a pine cone motif border. The word "Germany" is printed in small type in the center of the bottom; a German publisher was issuing these cards for the English-speaking market.