A brief history of (weird and wonderful) Victorian Christmas cards | V&A
Victoria and Albert Museum・12 minutes read
Victorian Christmas cards were the first of their kind, featuring traditional imagery and encouraging widespread sending, leading to the popularization of many Christmas traditions we know today. Despite a decline in sending physical cards, modern Christmas cards continue to innovate and emphasize the importance of expressing love and celebrating the holiday season through creative designs and thoughtful messages.
Insights
- The Victorian era introduced Christmas cards, ranging from inexpensive to lavish designs, popularizing the tradition of sending greetings during the festive season.
- Victorian Christmas cards featured a mix of traditional symbols like robins and modern elements such as humorous or surreal scenes, reflecting societal access to luxury foods and blending religious and secular themes, shaping the foundation for modern-day innovation in card designs.
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Recent questions
When were Christmas cards first sent?
1843
What are some common Victorian Christmas card designs?
Robins, snow, holly, Father Christmas
How did Victorian Christmas cards reflect society's access to luxury foods?
Pineapple, champagne
What were some popular elements in Victorian humorous Christmas cards?
Human-faced Christmas puddings
How did Victorian Christmas cards contribute to the popularization of Christmas traditions?
Christmas tree, Christmas crackers
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Summary
00:00
Victorian Christmas Cards: History and Designs
- Christmas cards are a Victorian invention, with the first one sent in 1843 by Henry Cole to his friends.
- The Victorian era saw a range of Christmas card designs, from cheap to expensive, encouraging widespread sending.
- Envelopes for Christmas cards were introduced in the early 1800s, with unique designs for the festive season.
- Greetings cards became collectibles, featuring traditional Christmas symbols like robins and unexpected elements like lobsters.
- Victorian Christmas cards depicted traditional imagery such as robins, snow, holly, and Father Christmas in various forms.
- Many Christmas traditions, like the Christmas tree and Christmas crackers, were popularized by the Victorians.
- Victorian Christmas cards often featured feasting scenes, with humorous and surreal elements like human-faced Christmas puddings.
- The cards reflected Victorian society's access to luxury foods like pineapple and champagne during Christmas.
- Humorous and pun-filled Christmas cards were popular, often featuring everyday items in illustrations.
- Novelty Christmas cards in various shapes and forms, like triptychs and hold-to-light cards, were introduced to compete in the market.
13:06
Enduring Significance of Sending Christmas Cards
- The card is addressed to Maggie from her brother Bert, showcasing a nativity scene on the back and a complex design featuring angels, Christmas trees, and holly, blending religious and secular Christmas traditions. Despite the decline in Christmas card sending due to digital communication, the innovation and creativity in modern cards persist, emphasizing the enduring significance of sending Christmas cards to express love, thoughts, and celebrate the holiday season.
