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The First Commercial Christmas Greeting Card, 1843.

The First Commercial Christmas Greeting Card, 1843.

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The First Commercial Christmas Greeting Card, 1843.: A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year To You.

by (CHRISTMAS CARD)

  • Used
  • first
Condition
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Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Kingston, New York, United States
Item Price
NZ$42,095.00
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About This Item

One of 1000 copies printed, it was sold for one shilling each, a hefty price at the time, the concept suggested by Sir Henry Cole who is best remembered as the intellectual designer of the Victoria & Albert Museum and responsible for the modern British postal system. However, because the central design depicted feasting and drinking (as designed by John Calcott Horsley), the card was attacked by the Temperance League and thought to promote drunkenness, so it was suppressed soon after publication and there are believed to be less than 30 examples thought to survive. The 2nd Christmas card did not get issued until three years later (in 1846).

The two side panels on the card illustrate images of the Christmas Spirit of giving alms to the poor, feeding and clothing the needy. Its release literarily coincided the same week with the publication of Dickens' A Christmas Carol and certainly helped perpetuate the celebration of the holiday.

Printed on one side, this is possibly a salesman's sample copy as an ink notation on the reverse side indicates the wholesale cost of buying multiples. It is also amongst the very best examples that survive.

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Details

Seller
BATTLEDORE LTD US (US)
Seller's Inventory #
BBO14
Title
The First Commercial Christmas Greeting Card, 1843.
Author
(CHRISTMAS CARD)
Illustrator
Hand-colored Chromolithograph on card stock by John Calcott Horsley
Format/Binding
Fine condition, inside a double-sided frame.
Book Condition
Used
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First Christmas Card
Publisher
[Joseph Cundall for Henry Cole, December
Place of Publication
London
Date Published
1843
Size
3-3/16 x 5 in.
Weight
0.00 lbs
Keywords
Christmas, card, Horsley, Cole, Henry Cole, drunkenness, Dickensian, Cundall
Bookseller catalogs
Popular Culture and Ephemera; Antiquarian, Rare & Collectible Books;

Terms of Sale

BATTLEDORE LTD

10 day return policy guaranteed, with full refund including original shipping costs if an item arrives wrongly described or physically damaged.

About the Seller

BATTLEDORE LTD

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2020
Kingston, New York

About BATTLEDORE LTD

Founded in 1988, Battledore has been promoting children's books and related references/bibliographies through catalogues, by direct mail, online internet sales and special exhibitions, including the annual ABAA Antiquarian Rare Books Fair in New York City (Park Avenue Armory at 67th Street). Since 2002 we have maintained a "by appointment" store front gallery in Kingston NY that is fully operational. For scheduling a visit to discuss collection development, please email us at battledore@mail.com. The President of Battledore Ltd has represented Maurice Sendak as liaison for private collectors and institutions worldwide from 1970 thru 2003 and continues to maintain a fine inventory of his original artwork along with curated selections of original illustration art for children's books by other well-recognized artists and illustrators.

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