Christmas Cards

The sending of Christmas greetings has, of course, been around for as long as the festive season itself. However the formal Christmas Card is a relatively new innovation. Like much of our modern Christmas/Xmas it originates from the 19th century.

Who Invented the Christmas Card?

Christmas Card, example of the first known Christmas card being used, 1843

First known Christmas card being used, 1843
Horsley, John Callcott
24 in. x 18 in.
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The first known Christmas Card was invented in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, who was in charge of what became London's Victoria and Albert Museum. Cole's purpose was purely pragmatic - he had too many Christmas greetings to be able to write them all out by hand. He therefore commissioned John Calcott Horsley to design a card for him to have printed.

The first Christmas card showed Christmas celebrations being enjoyed by a happy family group. However around the edges of the main picture were illustrations of the poor being clothed and fed, a reminder of the spirit of Christmas. This card was not universally popular, with some puritans objecting to the portrayal of wine being drunk by the family.

The concept of the Christmas card quickly caught on and the custom spread. In the US, cards were initially imported from England until 1875 when Louis Prang published the first commercial US based range of cards.

It wasn't long before Christmas cards became big business - in all senses of the word. Companies and corporations began sending cards to promote their business and keep touch with their customers. These trade Christmas cards can be seen as an extension of the trade cards of the early 19th century. These trade cards were not always holiday specific and were often included with packets of tea, soap, etc and were popular with collectors.

Christmas Card Designs

Over the years a number of standard Christmas card themes have developed. These tend to fall into two camps: those showing Christian religious scenes with angels, the nativity, etc and those secular cards showing more general winter scenes such as robins or non-religious figures such as Santa. Funny cards are always popular and, in some countries, so are patriotic ones. Also - for reasons I've never quite understood - the horse is a popular image.

An alternative to the "boxed set" is the handmade, personal card with a unique design. Unfortunately not all of us possess the artistic skills needed for making these. I certainly don't, so as usual I'll buy commercial cards this year.

In keeping with the trend for Christmas to become a wider festival than simply a Christian one, many cards avoid the implicit religious implication of the word "Christmas" and instead use religion neutral phrases such as "Season's Greetings".

Today, of course, the rise of technology has allowed for affordable personalized Christmas cards, often complete with photos. Sir Henry Cole would probably be amazed to see how far his simple idea has developed.

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