Christmas is coming and soon Christmas Greeting Cards will be dropping thru many a letterbox. No doubt many will feature the ubiquitous English Robin….or Robin Red Breast as is often called…..
The Robin has long been one of the symbols of the Festive season along with the Holly and Ivy. I have a small collection of Victorian Christmas Cards, mainly by the then famous Raphael Tuck and Sons of London. Here are just three cards that date between 1880 and 1908 that feature the Robin in many settings we will find on todays Christmas Cards…..
So accept this blog as a reminder that nothing is ever that new and if you haven’t organised your cards…well time is running out!
4th DECEMBER
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 
Your photo at the top is beautiful! What a chubby, colorful little bird.
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Well fed by the looks of things
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What a great photo, David!
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Thank you
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What grand fun! Love the lettering in the first card. I must say, though, that I find rather odd the idea of having the one in the second one sitting on a bone from the carcass of a distant relative and singing. Oh, and then there are the clawed hands and the feet with shoes in the third one–sorry, I didn’t mean to be so picky and trifling. Ah, well, apparently it wasn’t of much concern to other folks. Other times, other sensitivities, I guess!
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I have stranger cards than these for what we would now think oddities……might include some later in the month
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Oh dear David, what a beautiful post, I loved these cards… And Robin photograph is great. Thank you, I wish you to have a great Christmas time. Love, nia
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Beautiful post David. Thank you for sharing your magnificent treasures. Very lovely.
Robyn
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We get it Robin! Best wishes
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Don’t know this bird, but sweet all of them! 🙂
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Small bird but very territorial here in the U.K. Nursery Rhymes were once written about it ‘Christopher Robin’ he was called. I understand that in the USA they have a Robin but it is much bigger (most likely comes from Texas!)
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I know this sounds a bit ignorant, but I actually didn’t know that. Thank you 🙂
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Not ignorant at all…just one of our strange ‘customs’ here in the U.K. There are so many that I am always surprised by what I continue to discover. May show some other Christmas cards from the 1800’s in the next few weeks
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Would love that 🙂
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I do enjoy such older-era cards, the sort I’d buy. Thanks for the reminiscence, david, and they are beautifully photographed. :O)
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I was just tipped off by RobynG theat I ought to visit your blog and I can see that ,you also have a love for our small friends. So have I! Over the years I must have taken several thousands of images of them, but at the moment this particular blog is rather new on this portal. (Not too many birds as yet) But you’re welcome to a peek anyway! 🙂
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I will stop by. I love birds, but I suppose love the outdoors more and whilst on occasions try Wildlife Photography I freely admit that it is a skill that I do not have.
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