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On May 1st, 1843 English Academic painter and illustrator John Callcott Horsley designed the first commercially produced and printed Christmas card, commissioned by English civil servant and inventor Henry Cole
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On May 1st, 1843 English Academic painter and illustrator John Callcott Horsley designed the first commercially produced and printed Christmas card, commissioned by English civil servant and inventor Henry Cole
On May 1st, 1843 English Academic painter and illustrator John Callcott Horsley designed the first commercially produced and printed Christmas card, commissioned by English civil servant and inventor Henry Cole. Joseph Cundall, a London publisher of children's books, collaborated on the project, put his imprint on the card, and sold them at his Summerly Home Treasury Office. Summerly was a pseudonym invented by Henry Cole and used in various of his collaborations with Cundall.. This example sent (and signed) by Henry and Marian Cole was sent to Granny and Aunt Char. The hand-colored lithographed card, which read " A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You, " was controversial because it included a picture of a family with a small child drinking wine together which disturbed the UK temperance movement (who were calling for abstinence from alcohol at that time). The controvesy aided the popularity of the card and two printings totalling 2050 cards sold in 1843 for one shilling each. The first printing was 1000 copies. On November 24, 2001 this specific copy of this card sold for £ 22, 500 at auction at Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire. Date: 1843
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Media ID 27970032
© Henry Aldridge & Son Ltd. / Mary Evans
1840s Annual Aunt Char Cole Commercial Granny Hand Coloured Horsley Marian Office Phenomenon Success Treasury Callcott Cundall
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This beautiful and historic Christmas card, designed by English Academic painter and illustrator John Callcott Horsley in May 1843, marks the inception of the commercially produced and printed Christmas card tradition. Commissioned by English civil servant and inventor Henry Cole and collaborating with London publisher Joseph Cundall, this hand-colored lithograph was the first of its kind to be mass-produced and sold, with the intention of making the holiday greeting more accessible to the general public. The card, which reads "A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You," was sent by Henry and Marian Cole to their relatives, Granny and Aunt Char. However, the image of a family enjoying a glass of wine together raised controversy amidst the UK temperance movement, who were advocating for abstinence from alcohol at the time. The ensuing debate only served to increase the popularity of the cards, with two printings totalling 2050 cards sold in 1843 for one shilling each. This specific copy of the card, which bears the signatures of Henry and Marian Cole, sold for an impressive £22,500 at auction on November 24, 2001, at Henry Aldridge and Son in Devizes, Wiltshire. A testament to the significance of this early Christmas card, it remains a cherished piece of holiday history and a reminder of the enduring tradition of sending festive greetings to loved ones.
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