One of my first batches of postcards was chock-full of Christmas offerings from 1913-1920. Winter scenes are most common in the Christmas cards that I find, and they tend to run the gamut from “birds are Christmas, right?” to “you’re getting a sprig of greenery and that’s final“.
Stingy bastards.
This Christmas postcard gets really fancy in its lettering and includes a beautiful illustration of a cherubic angel with a dove. The dove looks a little like its head has been stitched on, though, and that’s a tad unsettling. Look! The angel fixed it!
“A Merry Christmas to you,” says this grumpy lady. A Christmas card in blue and green! I have yet to find any others like it, and it’s one of my favourites because it’s so bold.
The robins have century-old glitter on them. I have found that antique glitter is as much of a pain in the ass as the modern version, and I know I’ll be finding sprinkles of it all over the place for the rest of my life. Whoever winds up with the physical copies of my old postcards will also inherit the glitter curse. Whoever invented glitter should be shaken repeatedly and yelled at, but the only way to do that now is through a Ouija board, I guess.
A bored child sits on a bench or chair, waiting for something and holding a length of garland. The dog may have been part of their Christmas gift, I’m not sure. Signed by the artist, RJ Best, this postcard remains one of my favourite Christmas graphics because of its simplicity.
Bluebirds may be a symbol of good luck or fortune and happiness, but they’re also really pretty, especially when frolicking in the snow.
The above image also came with the curse of glitter, though it was not a card—it was just an illustration. Whether it came from a greeting card or was taken from a book, I don’t know. I just remember that it was on its own and decorated with black glitter. Kind of odd, but still a pretty picture.
More bluebirds and a wintery scene on this Christmas tag card.
Why are these snow people so cheerful about being stuck in a stocking? I wish I knew. They are unsettlingly happy about it. All I can think is that someone, somewhere, now has wet socks.
A simple and sweet Merry Christmas card for someone’s wife. This greeting card is from the 1940s-1950s.
My favourite part about this depiction of Bethlehem, the wise men, and the shepherds is their clothing. They are wearing colours—rich, beautiful colours! What a lovely old postcard.
A young shepherd cradles a lamb in this Christmas greeting. A little bit of winter, a little bit of greenery. Cut the shepherd out of their frame and you can put anything you want in there, including yourself for the yearly family Christmas card.
This final card is very sweet with its subject matter and how it looks like it was done in coloured pencils. Someone was treated quite well with their Christmas presents!
Do you have a favourite in this batch? Tell me about it in the comments.
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