J
to trace.
But there is one out
standing exception: the ex
.. of gn -Ur s .
This social custom, which
Is now
observed la one ?f the
youngest of our holiday tra
ditions.
The very first card, ao
ISSUSK&S
signed and printed n Lon
don in 843 Only a dozen
of original .(
are known to e xlst and two
of these, tneludlng Iks only
.unsigned and unposted
specimen, are part of the
Hal in: ark Historical Collee
tlon, the world's largest
private repository of greet
ing cards and related mem
orabille.
Ssfeke^la.
When not on dlgplay In
museum* ?ns amiu. insti
tutions, the collection Is
filed In a specially-cot.
Cards In Kansas City, Mo.
Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy
London gentleman, and
founder of the Victoria and
Albert Museum, asked his
friend, John C. Horsiey
nouartIst ind rnember ol: '
a .. ?^MUHJPVH^^W-. wsanpeuev -
the Royal Academy, to de
sign the now-famous card
as an unusual means of a*
praaslng his kind wishes to
friends at the holiday sea
son. ' V"v ' >? '
This was the gotten age
of Christmas in Enjgland, a
time when the holidays
reverence and more elabor
ate celebrations than in any
period before or since.
good itt^MTvlt^ng^Snes
to toast a friend's good
health, carol-singing, bring
ing in the Yule log, and
great family dinners were
all In vogue.
The year that Sir Henrys
card appeared. Incidentally,
was also the year In which
another of his friends,
Charles Dicker!*, published
"A Christmas Carol," the
immortal story of Bbenezer
Scrooge, Bob Cr&tciiit and
y Tiny Tim
had three p?"?|| The large
center panei showed, a fam
ily dinner gathering and
the two side panels Illus
trated the still popular hoi
iday charities of feeding the
hungry and clothing the
needy. Beneath the Illus
trations was the universal
greeting: "A Merry Christ
mas and a Happy New
Year."
Well researched
An American antiquarian
and international authority
on greeting cards Carroll
A Means, of Woodbrldge,
Conn., was instrumental In
the research that moved
the Cole-Honley to be the
first Christmas card. And In
1909, Means was commit
atoned to institute a search
(or copies of the original
That year he traced one
specimen through the fam
ily of Sir Rowland Hill;
founder of penny postage
in England, and two years
later, Means brought the
second Cole-Horsley to this
country, the unsigned spec
imen. \
Christmas cards were first
offered "to the trade" by
an English publishing house
In the HMO's. They carried
inch designs as Jolly old
gentlemen (who might have
been the forebears of 8an ? ?
to Claua), plum puddings,
holly and mistletoe.
At this point, the produc- ,
tion of cards coincided witty)' f
use of ornamental paper
and color reliefs They were
usually dither lithographed
In copper-plate engravings
or colored by hand, as was
the COle-Hbrsley.
Lithographs were crude
ly stenciled In color, cut out
and pasted on the cards,
and plain embossed reliefs
aura&sus
tow^rd^^^e UUh m e nfcy;
At the end of the 19th
Century, a decoration
known as "Jeweling" be
came popular. This effect
was obtained from a thin
film of copper which was
heated after being chemi
cally treated.
Lace paper was also used
extensively. And ultimate
ly, Just about every other
means of decoration was
used including natural
grass, seaweed, dried flow
era, crewel-work, velvet and
chenille, and anything else
that could be adhered to
first Christmas cards
were introduced in America
in 1875 by Louis Prang of
Boston, a German immi
grant
Social custom
Except for a brief period
in the early 1900's when
post cards enjoyed a spate
of popularity, the exchange
of greeting cards, and espe
cially Christmas greetings,
has developed steadily in
this country into an estab
lished social custom.
In recent years, an esti
mated three billion cards
are sent each Christmas
season in America. These
gay missives, composed of
myriads of color, design
?rui expression, play an
important role in creating
annually the festive spirit
of the holiday season at
home and also serve to re
unite distant friends and
relatives.
TWO PRICELESS CHRISTMAS card*. Ttp, the first card ever
prwfacwl for the holidays. Bottom, another early version of
~L riIi=W.w >ifKwl
On key H* WOMd ... fMd MnftferoH,
and a warm ?*tanks." to aar ?a?y jaliw
Carl D. Pate Sr. Insurance Agency
Insurance & Reel Estate
Pi""' 298 41" * c
m
^^^Special delivery!
It's a friendly message
brimming with the
best af holiday cheer. W
hone this Christmas
r*7 ~ r*?"'. -V- "v
g ,ke fi
? and happlitt suj'
far you and all fl
our loved ones. ^//f\
I Simpson's I
I & Ladies Shop I
[ V %/ m ^B
Bk S% m ? ^m a i^W
7e extend om warm thanks to yon.
BI^LUAM iLnl li^ft PA
I ? Bgrth> Wkiltf Route WfllMt U
IGood I
| at Gt?ristn;>as I
To all the friends we have had the pleasure of serving
? wishes for a warm, old-fashioned, family-filled holiday.
I
[ Nrs. Christine Williams Davis I
Register of Deeds and Staff I
I' ? i
M I' M
^B B -^I^J
dllfl If^jg
?
Star of wonder
shone in the heavens, and Wise Men
from the East came to worship a newborn
King. May this spirit of reverence and rejoicing
v- ' ?
spread its wonder throughout your daily lives.
Merry Christinas to all our friends and cherished patrons.
- ' 4 ' ? v if: ? .. > /?
\NORTH ?" u