Drop Me a Line
By Laurie Nienhaus    

   Sir Henry Cole had been unusually busy in 1840 and so knew he was not going to have time to write his traditional Christmas letter. He asked his friend, London artist John Calcott Horsley, to design a holiday card with a pre-printed message on it for him.  The card was so popular with Sir Henry Cole’s friends and family that in 1843 1,000 of them were reproduced for commercial sale at a shilling each.  Neither man had any idea of the impact the hand colored lithograph of a family party in full swing would have in Britain and later in America. A new industry had been born.

   Even the early Christmas card manufacturers believed Christmas cards to be a vogue which would soon pass. They operated on a quick turn basis and didn't bother to document the cards they produced. But the Christmas card was destined to become an integral part of the holiday season. By 1880 their manufacture was big business, creating previously unknown opportunities for artists, writers, printers, and engravers.

   The introduction of the penny post made sending cards reasonable, but the cards themselves were expensive – partly due to their ornate design. The trick card was not only especially clever but was among the most popular of Victorian Christmas cards. While infinite in variety, it always featured some element of surprise. While seemingly simple at first glance, the turning of a page, the pulling of a string, or the moving of a lever revealed the unexpected, showing the card to be more complex than first imagined. 

   Pull out flower cards were among the most treasured of trick cards. An example from 1870 is that of red, white and yellow roses encased in a fan shaped handle. Pull the silken thread dangling from the handle and the card opens to twice it's size. Five separate rose petals come into view, each surrounded with lilies of the valley and imprinted with quotes from poets such as Wordsworth and Keats. 

   Another popular trick card employed the use of realistic reproductions of money and checks. The resemblance was close enough to be deceptive when first opening the card. The "Bank of Love" card was so similar to a real five pound note that it was withdrawn soon after being issued. Cards resembling checks would be issued from "The Bank of Blessings" for "Ten Thousand Joys." Railway tickets were printed with "Prosperity" being the destination from "All Difficulties," transferable "Only To Old Friends."

   Tab cards comprise the largest group of trick cards. They consisted of two cardboard sections attached at the edges while a tab between the two enabled a different scene or text to be brought into view when manipulated. One such card considered daring in the late 1880's wished the receiver a "Joyous Yuletide" while featuring a young women whose legs appeared to move as if dancing when the tab was pulled. 

   As beautiful as they were, the expense of these ornate cards could no longer be justified once the Golden Age of Postcards began in 1898. Both American and Europeans were sending postcards for every conceivable reason and for no reason at all. By the early years of the 20^th century, you might hear “Drop me a card” as often as we now hear, “Email me” or “Call me on my cell.” By 1913 over 968 million postcards were sent in the United State alone and the number and variety of postcards available had become staggering. The collecting of postcards in scrapbooks became a world wide addiction that even Queen Victoria could not resist.

   The Christmas postcard was a perennial favorite and also among the most beautiful.  Common illustrations were of children, animals, trees, and gifts although many examples exist with florals you might not immediately associate with the holiday season. Some postcards contained photographs as opposed to illustrations. “Hold to Light” postcards, where a different image seemed to magically appear when the card was held to a light source, were also popular.

    Although many countries had their own postcard manufacturers, it was the German postcards people loved the most. Their quality and beauty simply could not be surpassed. Sadly, the looming of World War I would put a stop to German imports and most of the German postcard factories would be destroyed before the war’s end, never to be rebuilt.  By 1918 the war as well as the telephone had brought an end to Golden Age of the Postcard. It would be up to the postcard collectors - the deltiologists - to keep its memory alive. 

   Today postcards are among the least expensive categories of Christmas collectibles and ephemera, with good quality examples available for under $10.00. Artists signed cards command higher prices as do those produced as one of a series. Santa postcards are by the most collectable and Santas wearing suits other than red will also cost you more. And, if you chance across a Hold to Light Santa dressed as Uncle Sam, hang onto it! It's among the rarest of Santa postcards.

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Laurie Nienhaus is a public speaker, author, and Director of Gilded Lily Publishing. She is also the editor of the free, online monthly newsletter, Sweet Willa's Review. Tea and history lovers and those wishing to subscribe to Sweet Willa are invited to visit GLily.com.

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