World’s first printed Christmas card on display.
When I saw this headline, my history interest was awakened. I read about this card on display and went deeper into her story, history and background. The few information’s I found I like to share with you and send you with this post and card my very best Season Greetings for a
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You !
The world’s first printed Christmas card (see above) has gone on display at London’s Charles Dickens Museum, just in time for the start of the festive season. In collectors language one also calls this card „The Cole Horsley Card“.
Portrait of Sir Henry Cole, (15 July 1808 – 18 April 1882) was a British civil servant and inventor who facilitated many innovations in commerce and education in 19th century in the United Kingdom. Mental Floss reports that in 1843 Sir Henry Cole was too busy to jot down season’s greetings to individual family members and friends and decided a mass mailing of uniform cards would better serve his hectic schedule. And Cole was quite a busy guy, indeed; he later organized The Great Exhibition of 1851 in London!
The Great Exhibition of 1851 held at the Crystal Palace in London. Click on pics to size up.
Cole’s card is about the size of an ordinary postcard. Trellis work and garlands of ivy create a rustic frame for a kind of triptych. The side panels depict the charitable acts of clothing the naked and feeding the hungry, whilst the middle part shows a happy family gathering, drinking a toast to Christmas and the New Year. Good works and good eating and drinking, the two elements of a Victorian Christmas, make their appearance together on this first card.
The card which is on display at the Dickens museum.
The card, produced by Henry Cole, John Calcott Horsley and Joseph Cundall in 1843 – the same year that Dickens‘ „A Christmas Carol“ was published.
Portrait of John Callcott Horsley, (29 January 1817 – 18 October 1903), was an English Academic painter of genre and historical scenes, illustrator, and designer of the first Christmas card.
Hand colored and with blank spaces for the recipient’s and sender’s names, the card bears the message „A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you“ and was sent from a son to his parents. The Worlds first commercial Christmas card was designed by John Callcott Horsley (brother-in-law of Isambard Kingdom Brunel) for his friend Henry Cole, co-founder of the Victoria & Albert Museum.
The Victoria and Albert Museum has its origins in the Great Exhibition of 1851, with which Henry Cole, the museum’s first director and co-founder, was involved in planning. Initially it was known as the Museum of Manufactures. It was founded in 1852 and named after Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. It belongs today to the 10 most important museums in the world. If you haven’t already, it’s a „must see“destination in Europe.
Portrait of Joseph Cundall, (22 September 1818 – 10 January 1895), was a Victorian English writer under the pseudonym of „Stephen Percy“, a pioneer photographer and London publisher of children’s books. He provided employment for many of the best artists of the day by using them as illustrators.
One thousand copies were published by Joseph Cundall, the mid 19th century children’s and illustrations publisher, and sold in 1843, at Felix Summerly’s Home Treasury Office at 12 Old Bond Street, London, England, for six pence each – hand colored.
As well as picturing a family celebrating Christmas, the card also features images of the poor being clothed and fed, signifying Christmas charity.
Christmas – feeding and clothing the poor.
A proof copy, inscribed by Cole in 1865, is also on display in the collection.
Cole, a civil servant, was instrumental in reforming the British postal system in the 1840s, helping to introduce the Penny Post delivery system in 1840.
The proof (as above), inscribed by Henry Cole to Mr and Mrs Wallis, is one of only five recorded, according to the Dickens museum.
According to London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, the Penny Post encouraged the sending of seasonal greetings on decorated letterheads and visiting cards. According to the Charles Dickens Museum, the modern idea of Christmas, and it’s associated traditions, emerged in the first half of the nineteenth century.
In newly-industrialized Britain, the technological advances which revolutionized the work of bookbinders, printers, typesetters and illustrators, also prepared the perfect conditions for Dickens to introduce „A Christmas Carol“ to the world.
First edition of Dickens‘ book „A Christmas Carol“. It was published the same year – 1843 – as the first printed Christmas/New Year card.
Dickens‘ writing is thought to have shaped many modern day Christmas traditions. „A Christmas Carol“ was one of the author’s many Christmas books.
Portrait of Charles Dickens, (7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world’s best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian era.
John Drew, professor of English literature at the University of Buckingham and specialist in Dickens‘ work, told that in the period where Dickens and Cole were working, developments in the publishing industry and the proliferation of printed media helped to establish and popularize festive traditions.
Charles Dickens wrote a string of Christmas books.
„Dickens and Henry Cole are in the beginning of this heyday of the influence of the media, and Dickens is able to peg these traditions to a very recognizable story,“ Drew said.
The above shown 4 cards are some of the survived card’s, printed 1843 in an original edition of 1000. As you can see, they are all individual hand colored after printing – all 4 cards look a little bit different in coloring. According to my researches there are about 15 to 18 of such cards still existing. In 2010 was one sold in an auction for US$ 34.400,–. Collectors are willing to pay at least US$ 10.000,– for one card in a good condition.
Keep your eyes open, may be you will find such a Christmas treasure !!
