Dec11

words have no wings.

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From the Library of Congress:
On National Christmas Card Day we are pleased to share, from the Library’s Rare Book and Special Collections Division, a copy of the first commercial Christmas card, created in 1843.
It was, by coincidence, the same year that Charles Dickens published “A Christmas Carol.”
The two creations, and the iconography they inspired, went a long way toward establishing the Victorian concept of Christmas, which, in turn, we now regard as the “traditional” Christmas.
Henry Cole, a British civil servant and patron of the arts, commissioned friend and illustrator John Calcott Horsley to design a card that he could send to friends and family in lieu of writing lengthy Christmas letters. Horsley used chromolithography, a process suited to making lots and lots of copies.
You can see the lines at the top and bottom of the card where recipient and sender names are meant to be written. Horsley signed this card in the “From” field in the bottom right corner.
—
‘words have no wings, but they can fly a thousand miles.’
-korean proverb
—
Image: The very first mass-produced Christmas card, 1843.
Illustrated by John Calcott Horsley. 1843.
Photographed by Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

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50 responses »

  6. As someone who works in libraries, the archives and special collections department always has the coolest things. This first ever commercial Christmas card is so special and even more special that it coincided with Dicken’s classic!

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  16. I’ve always sent Christmas cards, until last year. And here I am again this year, not sending any cards or letters. The cost of postage and a printer that doesn’t work have kept me from doing this. I know that means I will likely be cut off people’s lists soon. I appreciated your card. Thank you. I needed to see that photo and read your message, especially now that ICE has arrived in my community. I can’t even begin to tell you how awful this is for the immigrants living here.

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    • I understand and I’ve cut them down to less each year, I do enjoy sending letters throughout the year from time to time still as I’m a fan of handwritten letters. glad you enjoyed it, the picture had a special meaning to me as you rad. I’m so sorry for what the people in your state are having to endure right now there is absolutely no reason for this.

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  19. for unknown reasons, i can‘t see the card, but i can add that this gentleman had a lot to answer to. i might become the only person in this world who still writes individual cards (which were chosen to give joy to ‚that‘ person). to ppl i know very well or who have a family/close friend connection, i might add a short ‚round robin letter‘ – but i absolutely loathe getting cards, printed maybe by the hundreds, and (hopefully not) even signed by the photocard producer…. I lost friends (which were, in the end, no friends) over debates on ‚pls spare the postage if you have nothing at all to say to me‘. So no prize for this from me. i‘d still like to see this first ‚xmas card‘! ;)

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    • I’m sorry you can’t see it and don’t know how to change it, yes, I like to send photo cards, with writing on the back – written words are the best. or I make them and write on them

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