ORIGIN OF THE CHRIST MAS CARD.

Evening Star, Issue 11675, 6 February 1902, Page 7

ORIGIN OF THE CHRIST MAS CARD.

The Christmas card, a? we kwrw it, ba.? an origin easily traceable, and it is not more than flftjvfive years ago since the first was designed and sent forth on its mission of gooforfil. Mr Adolph Tuck, the head of thfc famous firm of Wt publishers, told the writer that twenty years ago he came axrore the artist who claimed to be its, originator, a»d who was, at eny rate, the first to. see its possibilities. Thjs wag Mr W. C. T. DoWn, R..A., who, when quite a young man in 1844, was prompted at Christmas to make a Httfe sketch symbolic of the season's joys and festivities and to send it to a, friend. Jt seemed to give any amount of pleasure, and next year Mr Pobeom determined to follow up the idea on & larger scale, and by having bis card lithographed was wiftblcd to send copies to some twenty-6va or thirty friends. The delight with whieh they were received was so great that Mr Dobson was quick to perceive that he bad found out a new pleasure for Christmas, though he could not have foreseen that the eard of greeting was destined to becoma almost «w indispensable to the proper celebration of the time a* venerable customs which hav« been handed down for centuries, and which arc received with undiminished delight by succeeding generations. Arthur Welby in 'Temple Bar.'