The
very first Christmas card was printed in December 1843, at the
request of Sir Henry Cole, who was also the instigator of the
Great Exhibition of 1851 and founder and first director of the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Indeed, he was responsible
for the whole idea of sending Christmas cards through the post
when he decided to surprise his friends with a novel and colourful
card at Christmas time instead of the usual Christmas letter.
The artist J.C.Horsley was commissioned to produce the card
which is now among the most sought after by collectors. The
card illustrated a wealthy family enjoying a Christmas feast
as they all toast the festive season by sipping wine and it
was all set whithin a woody, rustic border hung with ivy, grapes
and vine leaves (holly did not appear on Christmas cards until
1848). In fact, some years ago, one such card was sold to an
American buyer by a well-known London auction firm for £400.
Another came up for auction in November 1987, and it fetched
an incredible £2,000.
One
of the most avid collectors of Victorian Christmas cards was
Queen Mary, and she amassed a large number of cards bought by
Queen Victoria who, not only sent such attractive cards to her
immediate family, but she sent them also to her very many servants
at Windsor and Osborne. Queen Mary's collection of cards were
placed in a large number of albums and these are housed in the
British Museum in London. However, the greatest Christmas card
collector of all time must be Johnathom King of Islington, London,
who spent his whole life colelcting these cards. In the 1890s
his collection weighed between six and seven tons, and included
nearly 200,000 cards published between 1862 and 1895. He did
intend to donate this unique collection to the British Museum
at his death, but unfortunately his massive collection was almost
destroyed in a fire that gutted his house, so that many unique
cards have been lost forever.
Many cards were extremely elaborate with gilded, embossed, shaped,
pop-up and pierced forms. Very few of these early Victorian
Christmas cards illustrate the religious meaning of the festival,
and they rarely show landscapes blanketed in snow or warmly
clad skaters on ponds or even reindeers pulling Father Christmas's
sleigh over the countryside which are all so common today on
our cards.
The
Victorians illustrated nature in all its form on their cards
since they were passionately fond of the countryside, and so
they gloried in colourful cards which depicted delightful pictures
of spring and summer in particular. Very early Christmas cards
hence have attractive birds on them together with their nests
and eggs. Flowers of the countryside were also immensely popular
as illustrations, and flying butterfiles amongs stalks of wheat
and even insects landing on ripening blackberries were included
by the early artists of Christmas cards.
All
these images were a reminder to everyone that bleak Winter would
soon give way to sunny days once again since nature was but
resting at Christmas ti me. Many collectors of Victorian Christmas
cards will search avidly for the renowned artists of the time
who illustrated such beautiful scenes which appeared wide such
regularity on them. Many of them were actually members of the
Royal Academy such as G.D. Leslie, J.C. Herbert, Geroge Clausen,
W.C.T. Dobson end W.T. Yeames, all of whom were paid many thousands
of pounds by Christmas card manufacturers of the time for their
illustrations.
Another area for collecting is that of the poets who penned
verses for these lovely cards. We know that Alfred Lord Tennyson,
the one time Poet Laureate, was offered as much as a thousand
guineas if he would contribute a dozen or so short pieces suitable
for such cards - but he declined the lucrative offer. It's quite
easy to come across on these cards, the work of Helen Burnside,
who was the favorite poet of Queen Victoria. Between 1874 and
1900 she penned as many as 6,000 Christmas card verses, and
so earned for herself, the title o the 'Poet Laureate of Christmas
cards'.
Small
children were sentimentalised on Victorian Christmas cards,
with children of the poor and orphans as well, being extensively
portrayed. Indeed, a large number of such cards were published
at the time; it was the era of sailor suits and pretty bonnets
in particular. Domestic animals were also popular on cards in
particular cats in comic poses around the household and dogs
in anthropomorphic postures, such wearing funny hats or posting
letters.
Perhaps
the most expensive of all Victorian Christmas cards are those
which have special shapes to them. These delightful cards are
often seen as circles, oblongs or a half-moon, and the 'Hold
To Light' card, where hidden scenes appear as the card is held
to the lights, is prized indeed by collectors.
Will the cards of today be so highly prized
in one hundred years time?
The
very first Christmas card was printed in December 1843, at the
request of Sir Henry Cole, who was also the instigator of the
Great Exhibition of 1851 and founder and first director of the
Victoria and Albert Museum in London. Indeed, he was responsible
for the whole idea of sending Christmas cards through the post
when he decided to surprise his friends with a novel and colourful
card at Christmas time instead of the usual Christmas letter.
One
of the most avid collectors of Victorian Christmas cards was
Queen Mary, and she amassed a large number of cards bought by
Queen Victoria who, not only sent such attractive cards to her
immediate family, but she sent them also to her very many servants
at Windsor and Osborne. Queen Mary's collection of cards were
placed in a large number of albums and these are housed in the
British Museum in London. However, the greatest Christmas card
collector of all time must be Johnathom King of Islington, London,
who spent his whole life colelcting these cards. In the 1890s
his collection weighed between six and seven tons, and included
nearly 200,000 cards published between 1862 and 1895. He did
intend to donate this unique collection to the British Museum
at his death, but unfortunately his massive collection was almost
destroyed in a fire that gutted his house, so that many unique
cards have been lost forever.
The
Victorians illustrated nature in all its form on their cards
since they were passionately fond of the countryside, and so
they gloried in colourful cards which depicted delightful pictures
of spring and summer in particular. Very early Christmas cards
hence have attractive birds on them together with their nests
and eggs. Flowers of the countryside were also immensely popular
as illustrations, and flying butterfiles amongs stalks of wheat
and even insects landing on ripening blackberries were included
by the early artists of Christmas cards. 
All
these images were a reminder to everyone that bleak Winter would
soon give way to sunny days once again since nature was but
resting at Christmas ti me. Many collectors of Victorian Christmas
cards will search avidly for the renowned artists of the time
who illustrated such beautiful scenes which appeared wide such
regularity on them. Many of them were actually members of the
Royal Academy such as G.D. Leslie, J.C. Herbert, Geroge Clausen,
W.C.T. Dobson end W.T. Yeames, all of whom were paid many thousands
of pounds by Christmas card manufacturers of the time for their
illustrations. 
Small
children were sentimentalised on Victorian Christmas cards,
with children of the poor and orphans as well, being extensively
portrayed. Indeed, a large number of such cards were published
at the time; it was the era of sailor suits and pretty bonnets
in particular. Domestic animals were also popular on cards in
particular cats in comic poses around the household and dogs
in anthropomorphic postures, such wearing funny hats or posting
letters.
Perhaps
the most expensive of all Victorian Christmas cards are those
which have special shapes to them. These delightful cards are
often seen as circles, oblongs or a half-moon, and the 'Hold
To Light' card, where hidden scenes appear as the card is held
to the lights, is prized indeed by collectors.