SOME CHRISTMAS CARDS

New Zealand Times, Volume LI, Issue 12016, 19 December 1924, Page 20

SOME CHRISTMAS CARDS

.We.have received..from Messrs Rar phael, Tuck and Sons, an avalanche- of Christmas cards. They, are of ; all sorts and, binds, coloured photographic, black' and white, artistic all; and all instinct with the spirit of the sea T eon-. Fit they are all for,- every home in the land, carrying as they do thd groat message into every., household, rousing the. nation to the height , of feeling which is ,the season’s v special character. The pictures are on every scale, and whatever the .scale, the Appeal is-successful. Moreover;, . the seasonable appeal is well seconded.by the artistic manner of its making. Topjan and wife, . to fathers, grandfaineis, grandmothers,, to children, to friends and relatives, and all good people, the appeal is strong, very "pleasantly, urgent and irristible. On., every scale the appeal holds good, small, large, medium, every condition has its urge. Outstanding is the set oF.the "Royal Christmas greetings, addressed, this year, as in all years previous, .to the people of the Empire. : Always'hive these been of high order, artistic and beantiful. But this year Royalty has surpassed all previous efforts, and the reproductive effort of this very capable firm Ims "succeeded in ' keeping step with the Royal intention. There are fiya beautiful picture*.—ope for each appeal—of the King, the Queen,'Queen Alexandra, Princess Mary, and the Prince of Wales.

The King’s message • sets forth the fine picture by Edward" David of King Charles I. signing the charter which gave to the Pilgrim Fathers of 1629. the right to call their settlement of Massachusetts, a colony authorised by the King to,start the extension of the King’s Empire. " It is a nphler- picture. very well "reproduced fn "colour/' .Tfie colony thus authorised has .hived-off. with* dtber -celomes-into-tho—-denoe of a great Republic; the greatest in the world’s histoipr. Ohp fact-only addi.to the "dramatic character of the "cenef.;. reproduced, "afid jwbo see it to "he hope that the descendants of those first simple '■olonis&s of . three centuries since, may always see.eye to eyo, with the .descendants df those who stayed-af’ home- with -Kfhg.'Ch dries on the of momentous events .very important in the of both' countries. ” i /” ’ , \ The Queen’s card gives ,us DgvWs picture of the “Flight Into. Egypt/’ enabling us to realise eveq,ts pf tfis greatest' time ,in the world’s history; from the lowliness- of. their ■ beginning to the splendour-of- the present day oT Christianity. ' . .. Queen Alexandra’s card agrees, with the same artist’s picture of the “Nativity,” bringing the Christmas meaning much nearer. . Princess Mary’s card with the picture of the escape of the helpless Scottish Queen from Loch Leven castle, appeals irresistibly to all hearts of tho Empire to forget the -divitoana of an . enl terns, and nnite in the rnemorr of a beautiful queen much gifted rrmr

unfortunate, and remember her as the mother *«f tho sovereign who -.upited the Scotitish and English crowns in indissoluble, most honourable union. The card .of the Prince "of Wales gives, from the - brush ,of the Same artist, the Buoentaur, the Venetin State barge, starting forth to the marriage of he Adriatic, with the Doge on board as bridegroom and a distinguished' party. The Prince takes advantage qf .ms .wonderful popularity throughout ..the Empire r to remind ns of the value 'eea power,'.winch did so much for Venice, and has done eo much for ‘the. British Empire, .and will do much more, if, wo of the Empire remain all of unfaithful ‘to the ancient tradition of- loyalty and righteousness. These are the/prominent cards, but - all -are! very fine Specimens of an art which is doing great, service in retaining for the Christmas iseasoh the real •value, and priceless, of (the greatest tradition in the history of; the world.