As Christmas is around the corner, the first-ever printed Christmas card was put on display at London¡¯s Charles Dickens Museum. Designed by Henry Cole and illustrated by John Callcott Horsley, the card was created in 1843. It was the same year, Dickens' A Christmas Carol?was published in the UK.?
The card was sent by a son to his parents.
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It shows a family gathered around a table with the wine glasses in their hands. It also contains the message, ¡®A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to you¡¯. Out of the 1,000 cards that were printed, only 21 are left. One was sent to the Charles Dickens Museum by a book dealer, reported The Guardian.?
Another report by Jersey Evening Post said that the cards were sold for a shilling and were not successful back then. However, this card got famous in 1877 and around 4.5 million copies of the same were sold.
Look at the card here:?
Louisa Price, the curator of Dickens Museum, said that 1843 was an important year for the development of modern Christmas. "The Christmas card is such a big part of our Christmases today. And A Christmas Carol is such a significant story that we see every year at Christmas time,¡± she said.
Simon Eliot, co-curator at the museum and specialist in 19th century books, said, ¡°He was able to focus attention on Christmas and give it a sort of identity and verve which it had lacked.¡±
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The Christmas card may be the biggest attraction for visitors this year; other attractions at the museum include sketches of Dickens' Scrooge, Fezziwig and Christmas Ghosts by John Leech, and books illustrated with woodcuts and steel plate engravings.