Name/Title
Christmas CardEntry/Object ID
1977.105.1Description
Fold-out Victorian Christmas card. The front of the card depicts an angel standing beside a child's bed. A verse on the back reads: "May Joy be Yours this Christmas-tide, True Joy that never knows an end, May Guardian Angels at your side, Your path direct, your steps attend."Context
The holiday season has long involved many traditions and customs, including the sending and receiving of correspondence. During Christmas and New Years in the early nineteenth century, dozens of handwritten letters were sent between households to send well wishes and provide life updates. It was impolite to ignore any correspondence, meaning letters were constantly flowing back and forth. At the time, postage was very cheap—it was known as the Penny Post in England, as a single letter could be sent for one penny.
The invention of mass-produced Christmas cards such as this one is attributed to Henry Cole (1808-1882) in 1843. Cole, a well-traveled societal elite of Victorian England, and later the first director of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, was dreading the many hours he would spend responding to his many cards. As such, he asked his friend, J.C. Horsley (1817-1903), to create an illustration on an approximate 5”x3.25” card with a generic “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to You” caption. A space was left at the top following the word “To:” to allow Cole to personalize each card before mailing them. In subsequent years, many of his peers in England followed Cole’s lead. By 1875, this tradition had been established in Boston and spread throughout the United States. Cards would have pre-written sentiments, but also became more unique in shape, such as seen in this example.Dimensions
Width
5-1/8 inLength
4-3/4 in
