Though mothers have been revered for centuries, the greeting card industry didn't have an official holiday to promote until 1914. The U.S. holiday's original purpose was to honor mothers whose sons were lost in the first World War-a carryover from the holiday's first promoter Julia Ward Howe, who wanted to unite mothers in protest against war.

Mother's Day had become a general celebration of motherhood by the time Wallace Nutting created this hand-colored photographic card in the 1930s. Sentimental greetings, often in the form of short poems, were printed on unfolded panels meant to be framed and displayed all year.

This print sold for $27 in a recent Michael Ivankovich auction. You can find more motherly mementos on Kovels.com and in Kovels' Antiques & Collectibles Price List.