Nostalgia: Vintage Christmas Card No. 9, That Will Hold Most Everything I Want

Vintage Christmas Card No. 9 That Will Hold Most Everything I Want

I love the little boy in his sailor suit and confident stance delighted over his Christmas stocking solution.  Maybe I identified, having felt the same way in some of my younger Christmases!

As your stockings are hopefully also "hung by the chimney with care" today, I hope that this Holiday Season holds "most everything" that you want, too.

Nostalgia: Vintage Christmas Card Countdown, No. 7 Broadcasting Greetings True

Vintage Christmas Card No. 7 Broadcasting Greetings True

Continuing with the theme of technology, communications and Christmas greetings from yesterday, I wanted to share this cozy scene of a young mother and child listening to the radio while their cat bathes and the child's stocking is hung for Christmas.

Once again, no postmark but the style of the radio (very early) and her heels have me dating this to the early 1920.

The greeting reads:

Sincere Christmas Wishes

I broadcast greetings true

On this Christmas Day to you

Nostalgia: Vintage Christmas Card Countdown, No.4 Arctic Stag

Vintage Christmas Card No. 4, Arctic Stag

It is very difficult not to begin each of these posts with "this card is one of my favorites" because they each have their own story and beauty.  The "Arctic Stag" holiday card, so-nicknamed for its highly detailed image of a stag with a background of snowy mountains and starry skies, was a surprise find on a rainy spring day at the Brimfield Antique Show. I discovered it in a box of old photos and knew it was a must-have.

The card is striking in its simplicity, elegant white flowers provide an embossed frame for the monochromatic winter landscape glued to the thick card stock.  On the inside, swallows fly over the greeting printed in a curling, decorative font:

With Kind Regards and all

Good Wishes for Christmas and

the New Year   

While there is again, no printed date, I believe that it is from roughly early 1900s, about the same time as yesterday's card.

Most interesting is that this is one of my few cards that is branded by the manufacturer. The logo of a clover is on the back with the text "Hills & Co., Made in London, Unique Cards" in each of the petals.  Despite my best research efforts, I have not been able to find any information about the company.  If you have any clues that may help me learn more, please let me know.

Best of all is the inscription to "dear Maria" whom, with that simple greeting, I feel must have been as special as the card itself to the sender Mr. Riseon.

Nostalgia: Vintage Christmas Card Countdown, No. 3 Best Wishes for Christmas

Vintage Christmas Card No. 3, Best Wishes for Christmas

This little red card has a lot of charm and just as much mystery.  I found it in my favorite antique shop in Concord, Massachusetts, and loved the red paper, the petite size (it is 2.5" x 5"), green ribbon and the pastoral image.  While the colors and verse are holiday related, the images of the blind embossed boat scene and summer landscape are quite a misfit for the season.

  

One of the challenges of vintage Christmas Cards is that unlike postcards which usually have a date in the postmark, cards over time (or immediately) are separated from their envelopes.  Based on the style of the ribbon tie and assembly, I can roughly date it to 1900.  This is why I get excited when I see a card, like yesterday's, where the author notes the date in their greeting.

The verse in gold font reads:

My Greeting

Through the hours whose

gladness never wavers,

May Father Christmas 

never tire,

Conferring you his 

fairest favors,

And granting you

your heart's desire.

While we don't know who the card is intended for, or if it was even given, we do know that it was from Winnie who marked her Christmas Card with her name using a fine point nib and running a little low on ink.

Nostalgia: Vintage Christmas Card Countdown No. 1, Merry Christmas from the Milkman

Mailing Christmas Cards and handwritten Season's Greetings is a long standing holiday tradition--and one of my favorite things about the holidays!  I love the cards arriving in the mail in the afternoon just as much as those from my collection of vintage stationery from Christmases past.

As a countdown to December 25th, I hope you enjoy these vintage holiday greetings from my collection in the last week before The Big Day.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or just enjoy having the holiday spirit in your heart, I wish you a joyous and wonderful holiday!

Vintage Christmas Card No. 1
1946 Merry Christmas from Your Milk Salesman