THE CHRISTMAS CARD

New Zealand Tablet, 22 December 1910, Page 16 (Supplement)

THE CHRISTMAS CARD

One of the features of the Christmas holidays is the Christmas card. Many of these are beautifully illustrated, and contain some sentiment appropriate to the Christmas season. In recent years additional features have been added in the issuing of beautifully illustrated books containing extracts from famous poets and writers or a series of illustrated pages on which are seen copies of the masterpieces of the great artists. It is said that the Christmas card had its origin about the beginning of the last century, and descended from the ' school nieces ' or ' Christmas nieces ' which the schoolboys, under the direction of the old writing masters, used to send at th« approach of the Christmas season to their friends, telling of their progress in the different branches of school work. These youthful messages were written on sheets of writing naper, surrounded with pen flourishes in the form of scrolls, birds, and what not. The Christmas card proper dates back to 1846, and the honor of publishing the first one has been claimed bv Joseph Cunrlall, p. London artist. In a letter published in the London Tinwx in 1884 he says: ' The first Christmas card ever published was issued by me in the usual wav in the year 1846 at the office of Felix Summerly'* Home Treasury, 12 Old Bond street. Mr. Henry T. Cole, afterwards Sir Henry, originated the idea. The drawing was made bv J. C. Horsely, R.A. It was printed in lithography by Mr. Jobbing, of Warwick Court, Holborn,