By Fabia Buescher (fb586@cam.ac.uk)
Today, Christmas cards from friends and family members decorate the living rooms of many. From snowy landscapes to smiling Santas and family pictures, the Christmas card is a popular way of staying connected with loved ones and sharing holiday cheer. But what is the history behind this tradition?
The first Christmas card was sent in 1843 by Henry Cole, a civil servant and founding director of the V&A, who commissioned the illustrator John Callcott Horsley to design a Christmas card for him.[i] Horsley’s card (see Fig. 1) depicts three generations of the Cole family around the dinner table, with a banner reading “A merry Christmas and a happy New Year to you”. In addition, on the left and right side, the card shows scenes of giving: Christmas is an occasion for both celebration and charity alike.
Figure 1: Greetings card, John Callcott Horsley, 1843, Victoria and Albert Museum.
Cole, however, did not use this card solely for his own friends and family. He commissioned a printer to produce a thousand copies of it that could then be personalized by inserting the sender’s name at the bottom. In Fig 1., Horsley personalized the card by drawing a small portrait of himself instead of his signature, adding “Xmasse, 1843”.
Cole’s Christmas card was sold for a shilling a piece, which was expensive at the time and thus not available to everyone[ii]. Yet, the idea of a Christmas card became popular, and new colour printing techniques as well as the introduction of the Half Penny Post in 1894 contributed to a boost in Christmas cards during the 1860s-1890s,[iii] and it has remained a cherished Christmas tradition ever since.
So, on that note, I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy New Year!
Illustration: Greetings card, John Callcott Horsley, 1843, Victoria and Albert Museum, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-first-christmas-card?srsltid=AfmBOopq2_0MDmlklT3IUPiPlBdnqgERmEgcDrQeTL5EWxYXEpkOncL1
[i] “The First Christmas Card”, Victoria and Albert Museum, https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-first-christmas-card?srsltid=AfmBOopq2_0MDmlklT3IUPiPlBdnqgERmEgcDrQeTL5EWxYXEpkOncL1
[ii] “How to Make Victorian Inspired Christmas Crafts”, English Heritage, https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/members-area/members-magazine/2021/christmas-crafts/
[iii] “The First Christmas Card”
doinghistoryinpublic.org 