Father Christmas Through the Ages: A German Christmas Postcard, 1906

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas postcard is a color lithograph which has been gilt on embossed card. It was printed in Germany for export to the U.S. The front shows an illustration of Santa Claus in a blue robe, as he drives a car full of dolls and toys and stuffed animals (including an elephant), with a superimposed holly-trimmed cartouche containing a rebus (words and pictures) verse:

"Be merry and full of Joy,
Every (pictograph of girl) and every (pictograph of boy)
May your (pictograph of stockings) be full of good things,
And your (pictograph of heart) be gay as everybody sings
A Merry Christmas"

On the reverse, the sender's name and address are written in ink (Mrs Jennie Lynn of Strong, ME) as is the address of the recipient: Master Montie Tebbetts, Carmel, R.7.D.#.2 Maine, c/o Mrs Fannie Lynn. The card has a one cent stamp attached, and is postmarked STRONG DEC 18 1906 ME.

Father Christmas Through the Ages: “A Merry Christmas to ‘Yon,’” 1910

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas postcard is gilded and embossed. The front depicts of Santa Claus in a red robe, as he stops outside of a house with a basket of dolls and toys. He also holds a doll and a toy trumpet.

The card is further adorned with a decorative border at the left side and top showing fir-tree branches adorned with candles and apples.

At the bottom are the words "A Merry Christmas to yon (sic)" in gilt letters. The card was made in Austria, possibly accounting for the misspelling of the English word, “you.”

Father Christmas through the Ages: A Victorian Christmas Card

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see another card featuring an image of Father Christmas. This one was designed and published in England in the late Nineteenth Century by an unknown artist and publisher.

A work of chromolithography and embossing with gold block printing, on paper, the card depicts Father Christmas in a bell-shaped frame.

Father Christmas Through the Ages: Christmas to Greet You, c. 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum


Whether you call him Father Christmas, Santa Claus or Old Saint Nicholas, you have a set idea of what the jolly gift-giver looks like. Kris Kringle takes different forms in each country.

Here, we see a classic representation of Father Christmas, as he is known in the U.K. This greeting card is a charming masterpiece of embossing, chromolithography and block printing. Produced in Britain in the late Nineteenth Century, it bears the atypical message, "Xmas to Greet You."

Father Christmas Through The Ages: A Christmas Card from 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas card with deckled edges (rough or feathered), features a recessed and partly cut-out front which depicts Father Christmas cycling through the snow with his famous sack of presents on his back. "A MERRY CHRISTMAS" is printed on the front with a doll, ball and two Christmas crackers (The U.K. holiday tradition of paper tubes filled with gifts and a motto. The tubes are sealed with cardboard coated with gunpowder. When pulled from each end to open, they make a popping or cracking sound which Bertie dislikes.) to one side.

The wording inside reads: 

"Here's good old father Christmas 
On his bicycle astride 
May he bring you lots of presents 
And a merry Christmas-tide" 


The artwork was created by Ernest Nister in London and the card was printed in Bavaria. It is signed "To Amy from Sissy"

Father Christmas Through the Ages: A Christmas Card from 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum


This week, we're going to enjoy some depictions of Saint Nicholas/Father Christmas/Santa Claus, etc. as his image has developed over the centuries.

This Christmas card from England in 1890 is of portrait proportions with a left-hand fold and deckled edges. The face shows an embossed head and shoulders
depiction of Father Christmas above the word "GREETING."

Inside, the card reads:

"All kind wishes for the SEASON
May you have a Christmas
Full of mirth and glee:
Yet amid your gladness
Think sometimes of me"

The card is signed "To Amy from Daisy"

Print of the Day: A Christmas Card from 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas card with deckled edges (rough or feathered), features a recessed and partly cut-out front which depicts Father Christmas cycling through the snow with his famous sack of presents on his back. "A MERRY CHRISTMAS" is printed on the front with a doll, ball and two Christmas crackers (The U.K. holiday tradition of paper tubes filled with gifts and a motto. The tubes are sealed with cardboard coated with gunpowder. When pulled from each end to open, they make a popping or cracking sound which Bertie dislikes.) to one side.

The wording inside reads: 

"Here's good old father Christmas 
On his bicycle astride 
May he bring you lots of presents 
And a merry Christmas-tide" 


The artwork was created by Ernest Nister in London and the card was printed in Bavaria. It is signed "To Amy from Sissy"

Father Christmas through the Ages: A Victorian Christmas Card

The Victoria & Albert Museum

Here, we see another card featuring an image of Father Christmas. This one was designed and published in England in the late Nineteenth Century by an unknown artist and publisher.

A work of chromolithography and embossing with gold block printing, on paper, the card depicts Father Christmas in a bell-shaped frame.

Father Christmas through the Ages: A Christmas Card from 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas card with deckled edges (rough or feathered), features a recessed and partly cut-out front which depicts Father Christmas cycling through the snow with his famous sack of presents on his back. "A MERRY CHRISTMAS" is printed on the front with a doll, ball and two Christmas crackers (The U.K. holiday tradition of paper tubes filled with gifts and a motto. The tubes are sealed with cardboard coated with gunpowder. When pulled from each end to open, they make a popping or cracking sound which Bertie dislikes.) to one side.

The wording inside reads:

"Here's good old father Christmas
On his bicycle astride
May he bring you lots of presents
And a merry Christmas-tide"


The artwork was created by Ernest Nister in London and the card was printed in Bavaria. It is signed "To Amy from Sissy"

Father Christmas Through the Ages: “A Merry Christmas to ‘Yon,’” 1910

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas postcard is gilded and embossed. The front depicts of Santa Claus in a red robe, as he stops outside of a house with a basket of dolls and toys. He also holds a doll and a toy trumpet.

The card is further adorned with a decorative border at the left side and top showing fir-tree branches adorned with candles and apples.

At the bottom are the words "A Merry Christmas to yon (sic)" in gilt letters. The card was made in Austria, possibly accounting for the misspelling of the English word, “you.”

Father Christmas Through the Ages: A German Christmas Postcard, 1906

The Victoria & Albert Museum

This Christmas postcard is a color lithograph which has been gilt on embossed card. It was printed in Germany for export to the U.S. The front shows an illustration of Santa Claus in a blue robe, as he drives a car full of dolls and toys and stuffed animals (including an elephant), with a superimposed holly-trimmed cartouche containing a rebus (words and pictures) verse:


"Be merry and full of Joy,
Every (pictograph of girl) and every (pictograph of boy)
May your (pictograph of stockings) be full of good things,
And your (pictograph of heart) be gay as everybody sings
A Merry Christmas"

On the reverse, the sender's name and address are written in ink (Mrs Jennie Lynn of Strong, ME) as is the address of the recipient: Master Montie Tebbetts, Carmel, R.7.D.#.2 Maine, c/o Mrs Fannie Lynn. The card has a one cent stamp attached, and is postmarked STRONG DEC 18 1906 ME.

Father Christmas Through the Ages: Christmas to Greet You, c. 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum


Whether you call him Father Christmas, Santa Claus or Old Saint Nicholas, you have a set idea of what the jolly gift-giver looks like. Kris Kringle takes different forms in each country.

Here, we see a classic representation of Father Christmas, as he is known in the U.K. This greeting card is a charming masterpiece of embossing, chromolithography and block printing. Produced in Britain in the late Nineteenth Century, it bears the atypical message, "Xmas to Greet You."

Father Christmas Through the Ages: A Christmas Card from 1890

The Victoria & Albert Museum


This week, we're going to enjoy some depictions of Saint Nicholas/Father Christmas/Santa Claus, etc. as his image has developed over the centuries.

This Christmas card from England in 1890 is of portrait proportions with a left-hand fold and deckled edges. The face shows an embossed head and shoulders
depiction of Father Christmas above the word "GREETING."

Inside, the card reads:

"All kind wishes for the SEASON
May you have a Christmas
Full of mirth and glee:
Yet amid your gladness
Think sometimes of me"

The card is signed "To Amy from Daisy"