The Robin has for over a century been a familiar symbol of Christmas. So I was both pleased and surprised by the number of folk from arround the world who emailed seeking either more information or just simply expressing the view that they found greetings cards from the Victorian era fascinating and ‘did I have anymore’. If you missed the original blog here is the link (https://davidoakesimages.wordpress.com/2012/12/04/christmas-is-coming/). For those who wanted some more, well here you are and for starters another Christmas Robin……
Dating from circa 1890 this Raphael Tuck Card is like most of that era a simple flat card, like a post card. I say simple, but this was the start of commercial colour printing which was then in its infancy, quite complex and expensive. By todays standards it appears a little crude but was no doubt cutting edge technology.
There were of course many other symbols of Christmas that are familiar images on many of todays Christmas Cards…..
Angels, Mary with Jesus and scenes from the Holy Lands were of course regular images. To these you have to add the more English ‘Holy and the Ivy’ and of course Mistletoe….
But not all Christmas Greetings Cards of the Victorian and Edwardian era had images that we would perhaps consider as appropriate for Christmas. Take this image of a British Bobby bursting through a paper wall brandishing his truncheon hardly a welcoming image to go with a ‘Good Wishes’ message……
Whilst this ‘Dandy’ of a Military Officer , one of a series of similar illustrations were regularly used for Birthday Greetings, Good Wishes, Christmas or simply just as a note card.
But the following card would today seem so totally inappropriate as it displays a Swastika a now much despised emblem. Yet when this card was produced in the late 1800’s it was simply a symbol of Good Luck and Friendship, representing the Four Winds of the World…
But the Angel is still perhaps one of the most recognised of symbols of Christmas…
But the publisher, ever keen to turn an extra penny, included a black edge which enabled them to catalogued the above card as both a Christmas Card and as a Bereavement Card.
But perhaps one of the earliest messages is still the most important and transcends all religious and ethnic frontiers …..
Peace on Earth
9th DECEMBER
© David Oakes
All cards from David Oakes Card Collection.
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 