The first Christmas card was issued in 1843. The card was an outline of the Victorian era. But it also led to great controversy at the time. It was a picture of an English family toasting wine glasses. The card printed 1000 copies that day. Today, only 30 copies of the first Christmas card remain in the world.
This card was created by illustrator John Calcott Horsley for Christmas and New Year greetings. The multi-million dollar industry was started by Sir Henry Cole, the father of the British Civil Service, who founded the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.
It was published by Marvin Getman, who sells books and their manuscripts. The card, which reads “Merry Christmas” and “Happy New Year”, included a number of nineteenth-century items, especially dress. But the controversy was sparked by the scene of a little girl drinking wine from an adult’s glass.
Several organizations came out at the time demanding that the card be banned. They alleged that the scene of the child drinking wine with the adults would send the wrong message to the people. Christie’s Auction Company in London has put one of these rare cards up for sale this year for between 5000 and 8000 pounds.
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