If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 690

 

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas greeting card illustrated by Helen Marion Burnside, early 1900s

 

Merry Christmas!

 

These three Victorian Vintage postcards are reproductions by Laughing Elephant, a small printing company in Seattle that preserves and reprints vintage illustrations.  The card above has the signature of H. M. Burnside [1841-1923].  She was famous not only for her illustrations but also for the verses she included on the cards.  Over 6,000 of her verses were put on Christmas cards and 150 of her songs were put to music.  She aspired to become a musician when she was young but she became deaf as a result of scarlet fever and chose to write verse and became a talented artist at a young age.  She also wrote several children’s books.

 

 

Christmas greeting with an illustration by James Brundage

 

Not all the early 1900s postcards have the name of the illustrator or their signature but this one was signed by James Brundage. 

 

 

 

Christmas greeting with an illustration by E.A.S.

 

This third card dates from the same era as the other two but has only the initials of the illustrator. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://blogs.ucl.ac.uk/library-rnid/2017/10/06/helen-marion-burnside-r-a-carried-the-radiance-of-her-very-soul-in-her-face/

 

https://laughingelephant.com

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 638

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas postcard, dated 1912

 

Merry Christmas!  This used Vintage postcard is postmarked 1912.  The stamp had been removed but at the lower left corner on the reverse is:  “Christmas Series 42 A.”  The illustration is not signed but there is an N in a triangle at the lower left.  

 

The first commercial Christmas cards were produced and sent in 1843 in England.  Many of the early cards contained Bible verses, words to Christmas carols, or traditional Christmas symbols, such as, holly, Christmas trees, candles, nativity scenes, and snowy landscapes.

 

Today's Thursday postcard was sent to Master Cletus Schneider of Conde, South Dakota, with wishes for a “Merry, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Grandma Becker.”  As mentioned in prior Thursday postcards, I am often curious about the senders and recipients of the used cards I find in jumble boxes.  As luck would have it, there is a photograph on Ancestry.com of Cletus, who was born in 1902.  His maternal grandmother was Mary Becker.  And, I suppose, this makes it a Christmas wish from the past and perhaps something new for a descendant.

 

 Cletus J. Schneider, ca 1912

 

 

To see the entire family portrait, use this link:

 

https://www.ancestry.com/mediaui-viewer/collection/1030/tree/45608494/person/6388263176/media/44076f2b-3ecb-4588-bdf4-07617b31cc21?_phsrc=KAl1639&_phstart=successSource

For more information about the history of Christmas cards, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_card

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 587

 

 

 

 

 

 Christmas postcards, 1914

 

 

Merry Christmas!  This used postcard featuring a winter scene was mailed on 22 December 1914.  The card was printed in Germany but no artist is listed.  As was traditional for the time and type of card there is a poem on the front.  It almost looks like there was a printing error as the “T” in Fleeting is not level with the rest of the text.  The card is either embossed or debossed as there is texture, mostly noticeable on the reverse.  The raised areas can be felt by touch on the front of the card but both raised and depressed areas are visible on the reverse.  In either case the card would have been produced by pressing between two metal plates.  Embossing raises the design and debossing lowers it.  The reverse of the card shown below, has had the color contrast adjusted to better see the raised design. 

 

 

 Christmas postcard, reverse, showing embossing/debossing, 1914

 

Even with postage rates increasing, many people still send Christmas cards and letters.  The first known Christmas card was sent to James I of England and his son, Henry Frederick, Prince of Wales in 1611.  A commercially produced card was first introduced in 1843.  It was commissioned by Sir Henry Cole and designed by John Callott Horsley.  The cards can feature anything from religious themes, to winter scenes like the one on today’s card, to Santa Claus, elves, snowmen, trees, reindeer, parties, caroling, even shopping and more. 

 

Some cards were hand colored but beginning in the 1880s, when German companies became dominant postcard producers, a process called chromolithography was used for making multi-colored prints.  Several runs would be required to produce multi-colored cards, with one color printed in each run.  Multiple cards were printed on one large sheet and cut or trimmed around the edges.  White borders were added around 1913 to allow some margin of error to the cutting. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_card

https://popthepixel.com/2022/4/29/embossing-debossing-letterpress/

https://worldpostcardday.com/history

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromolithography

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 535

 

 

 

 

 

Santa Claus, Father Christmas, St. Nicolas

 

The two unused postcards shared this week come from Dick Thompson’s Scrapbook Collection and have reproductions of Victorian Christmas greetings.  They are products of Merrimack Publ. Corp. of New York and printed in Hong Kong.  The originals were most likely from around 1900.

 

Santa Claus, Father Christmas, or Saint Nicolas, by whatever name we choose to call him he is often featured in holiday greeting cards.  When the Dutch established New Amsterdam they brought the legend and traditions of Sinterklaas with them.  We get the name Santa Claus from the Dutch Sinterklaas.

 

Traditionally Nicolas is thought to have been born in 15 March 270 and died 6 December 343 at the age of 73 years.  His parents were wealthy Greek Christians who both died of plague when Nicolas was a boy.  Accounts show him living a devout life and using his inherited wealth to help the poor and suffering.  He was made Archbishop of Myra, a harbor city near where he was born, when he was in his twenties.  During his life there was much persecution and torture of Christians.  It is believed that he was tortured and imprisoned during that time.  Many miracles have been attributed to him although it is not possible to tell how many of the events occurred as they were recorded long after he died.  His habit of secretly giving gifts became a tradition of gift giving in his honor after his death December 6.

 

 

 

 

Also depicted on the cards is holly.  Some scholars believe the name holly came from the word holy and is sometimes referred to as “Christ’s Thorn.”  The sharp, prickly nature of the leaves is to remind us of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus.  The bright red berries are reminders of the drops of blood.  Another account says that the shape of the leaves resemble flames and can serve as reminders of God’s burning love for his people.  Because the holly tree remains green with red berries during the Christmas season it has naturally become associated with Christmas. 

 

For additional information, see:

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicolas

https://www.celebratingholidays.com

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 483

 

 

 

 

 

Christmas postcard greeting illustrated by Millicent Sowerby, 1920

 

A while back Bob and I discovered a small, family-owned shop called Laughing Elephant.  They have their own printing press and make reproductions of vintage postcards, books, prints, and stickers.  The postcards shared this week for Christmas are from their shop and their collection of vintage illustrations. 

 

The card above shows children playing with toys on Christmas morning and was illustrated by Amy Millicent Sowerby known professionally as Millicent Sowerby.  A painter and illustrator, she was born in Gateshead, England in 1878, the fourth of six children.  Her father, John G. Sowerby, was also an artist.  Although Millicent took some art classes, she was largely self-taught.  She worked with watercolors and oils doing landscapes before becoming interested in children’s illustration.  “Postcards for the Little Ones,” was one of her post card series and sold thousands of copies. 

 

Sowerby was one of the first women to illustrate an edition of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.  Her illustrations of Robert Louis Stevenson’s A Child’s Garden of Verses received an excellent review.  She also illustrated three books written by her sister Githa.

 

Millicent continued to paint into her 80s.  She never married and died in 1967. 

 

 

 

Christmas postcard illustrated by Millicent Sowerby, 1920

 

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millicent_Sowerby

 

 

 

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 430

“Adoration of the Christ Child”

Since this is the week before Christmas I am sharing this postcard with a photograph by C.L. Marsh of one of the two stained glass windows at Faith Chapel, Jekyll Island, Georgia.  The window was made by Maitland Armstrong and his daughter, Helen Maitland Armstrong.   It shows the Three Wise Men bringing gifts to the Christ child. The card is a Dexter Press of West Nyack, New York product and published by Marsh Post Card Service, Jacksonville, Florida.  It has the number 5127-D at the upper right corner on the reverse. 

The window is set in the eastern end of the chapel partly because the Wise Men came from the east but also so that the morning sun shines through illuminating the scene.  Faith Chapel was built in 1904 and used as a non-denominational chapel until 1942.  In 1947 the state of Georgia bought it and Jekyll Island.  Today it is administered by the Jekyll Island State Park Authority and has been open to the public since 1970.  The chapel was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. 

David Maitland Armstrong, professionally known as Maitland Armstrong, worked with his friends, Louis Comfort Tiffany and John LaFarge in the 1880s.  In 1887 he formed his own firm called Maitland Armstrong and Company of New York.  His daughter, Helen Maitland Armstrong, joined him in the business and also became an important stained glass artist.  The second stained-glass window in the Faith Chapel is called “David’s Window” and was created by Louise Comfort Tiffany. 

Maitland Armstrong was born in New York on 15 April 1836 and died 26 May 1918.  He was educated at Trinity College, Hartford, Connecticut.  In 1858 he traveled to Italy where he later became the American Counsul in Rome (1869-1871).  In 1878 he was appointed Director of American Fine Arts at the Paris Exposition Universelle.  As an artist he painted landscapes and country scenes and later worked with Tiffany making stained glass. 

Helen Maitland Armstrong was born 14 October 1869 while the family was living in Florence, Italy.  She worked both as a solo artist and also in partnership with her father.  She was one of the first women artists to work with stained glass and her work is considered among the finest produced in the late 19th and early 20th century.  She died 25 November 1948 in New York.

For additional information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitland_Armstrong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Maitland_Armstrong
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faith_Chapel_(Jekyll_Island,_Georgia

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 380

"Our Lady of Sweat"

While this is not a really a postcard it is a prayer card from a church in Ravenna, Italy and since it seemed a Christmas theme with mother and child, I am sharing it this week.   Below are photos to provide some idea of the small size of this painting.  It is 35X23 cm or about 9X14 inches; however, it looks dwarfed on this high, ornate wall.  The artist is unknown.  The painting has an estimated date of the 14th century.

There is a placard with the following information about the painting: 

“This small painted tablet that portrays the crowned Virgin with the child Jesus in her arms is an image that is dearly venerated by the Church of Ravenna [Italy].  In her honour the decision was made in 1630 to build a Chapel dedicated to her in the Cathedral.  The name of this icon is inspired by a sacrilegious episode.  On leaving a tavern, a soldier saw the image of the Virgin Mary and slashed it contemptuously with a knife.  On that occasion, the Holy Image is supposed to have sweated blood.”

On the back of the card is this prayer in Italian

I’m not sure about the accuracy of the translation but in English is says something like:

“Prayer:  From your throne of glory O sweet sweetheart Madonna binds your merciful eyes to us, you get forgiveness, the justice of your son turns in grace for all of us. Our trust in you corrobori our hope, strengthen the good intentions of Christian life. O Mary, we ask for the clarity of the doctrine, the modesty of the body, the sanctity of life. O Mother, listen to our prayer, console rents and sufferers, sustain the first steps of the faith of the little ones, strengthen the life of faith of the young, strengthen the adults in the journey of their vocation, watch over our diocese, intercede for us with the Lord , get the graces we need. Amen”

The painting is found within the larger gold frame in the mid-center of the photo

A closer look shows a frame within a frame being held by two angels.  Part of the frame may be hinged and able to close like a triptych; however, the side panels do not have paintings although there is a raised design on them.

The photo close up view shows the framed image while the prayer card has the image only without a frame.

No flash pictures were allowed in the church and I was not able to get very close, hence the somewhat fuzzy photos and the need to pick up the prayer card.  My stepfather, who was Catholic, frequently used to light candles in churches and since he has passed away I often light one in remembrance of him when I visit old churches.  Small prayer cards such as this one are not always available so it was delightful to find a box of them near the candles. 

Merry Christmas

Tis the Season, #12 -- Chocolate Truffles

A super easy, delicious holiday treat.  This recipe for Chocolate Truffles comes from page 72 of the March 1981 Gourmet Magazine.  I have modified it from time to time by using semisweet chocolate chips that are already small as opposed to chopping up a brick of hard chocolate.  Also I have used the microwave instead of the stove top to melt and mix the chocolate and heavy cream and to soften the butter.

Chocolate Truffles

Ingredients

1 lb of semisweet chocolate [four 4 oz packages] broken into bits or high quality semisweet chocolate chips [one and a third 12 oz packages]
3/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons of heavy cream
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter cut into bits and softened
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa in small separate bowl

1.  Put the semisweet chocolate bits or chips in a heatproof bowl.  
2.  In a saucepan or in the microwave oven heat the cream to a boil. 
3.  Pour the hot cream over the chocolate bits and stir vigorously until the chocolate is all melted and blended into the cream.  If the chocolate does entirely melt by mixing with the hot cream, it is possible to use the microwave "melt" option to complete the process. Be sure to stir the mixture after removing it from the microwave.
4.  Beat in the unsalted butter until well combined.  The microwave trick could be tried here also if the butter is too hard and cold to melt completely into the chocolate and cream mixture.

[Steps 1 through 4 could be done with a mixer but it is easy to do with a wooden spoon or silicon spatula.]

The messy step, forming and dusting the chocolate balls in unsweetened cocoa

5.  Chill for at least 1 hour.  Can be chilled overnight.
6.  Form the mixture into approximately 1-inch balls and roll in unsweetened cocoa.  Shake off excess cocoa.
7.  Put in little paper cups, then store in a lidded container.

 

The truffles can be served chilled or at room temperature.  They keep longer if kept in a lidded container in the fridge.  

Should make between 60 and 90 truffles depending on the size of the balls.

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 279

Father Christmas & child, ca early 1900s

"Hoping you had a Merry Xmas and will have a Happy New Year" the message on this postcard seemed appropriate for the Thursday following Christmas.  The card shared this week was published by E.A. Schwerdtfeger & Co. London F.C. and New York and was printed at their factory in Berlin, Germany.  The card does not have a stamp or cancellation mark but has a message so it may have been hand delivered or included with a gift. The company logo, EAS, is centered on the reverse within a heart shape.  I have estimated the date to be between 1910 and 1915 based on the divided back (1908), the addition of New York for the company (1910), and the way the child is dressed in the picture but it could be a few years later.

E.A. Schwerdtfeger & Co. was established in 1894 and although the Berlin factory suffered severe damage during World War II they reopened and became one of Germany's largest greeting card companies.  Prior to the war in addition to the real photo postcards, like the one above, they also published calendars and glanzbilder or glossy photographs.  Many of the early postcards were hand colored and this card shows some evidence of added color on the fur trim, the pig (upper right), pail, doll, tree ornaments, and the little girl's sash.  It is hard to tell if the colors are as bright as they were originally.  Schwerdtfeger card subjects were most often actresses, children, coronation portraits, and holidays but this company was noted for postcards featuring fashionable women often in exotic costumes.  In 1910 the company expanded with an office in New York.  Later, in 1922, the Mimosa paper manufacturer became a large shareholder and took over the postcard department of the company. 

There are many Christmas details found on the card.  It is almost like a "Where's Waldo" game to see how many one can find.  Father Christmas the traditional English name for Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas is the dominant image.  The original Saint Nicholas, fourth Bishop of Myra, Turkey, was known for his alms-giving and was very generous to the poor, most often secretly.  The Father Christmas on the postcard holds a bell announcing the joy of Christmas and possibly the ringing in of the new year ahead.  He is leaning on a staff or cane representing a shepherd's crook.  At his waist is a doll with a bag of small toys and a bucket.  Another bucket or pail can be seen near his shoulder just below the pig.  A small sailboat is near the pail.  Pails and buckets for water were often in evidence as practical necessities when a tree held burning candles!  The little girl seems entranced by the tree decorated with balls and tinsel. One story about why tinsel was used on Christmas trees told of a poor family who did not have any decorations.  Spiders spun webs that were magically turned into silver and from then on tinsel was hung on the trees.  The ball ornaments might represent fruit, such as oranges, that were in scare supply during the winter and were a traditional Christmas treat.  The candles or lights remind the faithful that Christ was the Light of the World.  There are many more symbols and legends associated with Christmas.  

For additional information, see:

http://www.metropostcard.com/publishers1.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Christmas
htttp://www.celebratingholidays.com/?page_id=1491
https://www.brownielocks.com/christmassymbols.html
http://www.achristmastestimony.kingdomdesignministry.com/ch...

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 278

Swedish Christmas greeting postcard, 1964

As we rapidly approach the holidays here is a Swedish postcard that was sent by a friend in 1964.  The card was printed in Stockholm by Nordisk Konst and has the number 7800 on the reverse in the lower left corner.  The artist's signature at the lower right corner is hard to decipher.  It looks like it might be Kägfoler or Mägfoler.

The Swedish tomte is similar to the Norwegian nisse and stems from Scandinavian folklore.  They are usually no taller than 3 feet and can be as small as a few inches, have a long white beard, wear a cap, and dress in bright colors, most often red.  The December 2012 postcard Thursday #70 shared a card with Norweigan nisser on it.

The card above shows three children and a jolly tomte swooping down hill on a sled with the Christmas dinner pig in a wicker basket.   The tomte is said to resemble present day garden gnome statues.  Sometimes in stories he is said to be an ancient farmer who was buried on the farm in a mound.  Also thought to be the representation of spirits of previous generations who lived on a family farm some legends suggest that the tomte can follow the family if that family moves to another place.  The tomte also can act as a secret guardian of houses, barns and the entire farmstead.  However, since he is also known to have a quick temper and become easily offended he will play tricks and may even steal things or maim livestock.  He is said to have immense strength, especially given his small size.  Following the establishment of Christianity in Scandinavia the tomte was seen to be heathen and fell out of favor for a time.   The modern tomte; however, is more benign and associated with gifts much like Father Christmas or Santa Claus.

 He is often seen with a pig, another popular holiday symbol thought originally to be associated with fertility.  Today the traditional Scandinavian Christmas dinner includes a ham.  As a sign of gratitude for the secret protective services of the tomte a bowl of porridge topped with butter is put out for the tomte.  And that is not unlike the plate of cookies often left for Santa.  Pictures of tomtar and nisser are frequently found on Christmas cards, calendars, and appear in children’s books.  They hide from humans and are often able to use magic.  

The stamps on the card are rather plain but since no other Swedish stamps have been shared so far, they are included below.  The blue stamp shows the profile of King Gustav VI Adolf (1882-1973).  The red stamp with the postage amount.

For more information, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomte
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustaf_VI_Adolf_of_Sweden

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 226

 Christmas greeting, 1919

Merry Christmas wishes to all!  This 1919 vintage novelty postcard has a rebus Christmas greeting sent to Marjorie Lee from her godmother, Victoria Anderberg.  Mrs. Anderberg’s husband, Nicolas, was a Seattle Policeman and friend of I.C. Lee. The publishing information is given as Whitney Made, Worcester, Mass.  Whitney Made postcards were started by a Civil War veteran, George Whitney of Worcester, Massachusetts.  Beginning around 1900 to about 1920 this company produced huge numbers of greeting cards, postcards, children's books, paper toys and novelties.  There were several hundred designs issued for the various holidays throughout the year.  In addition to plain cards Whitney added lace and embossing on some of the cards.  Other cards had mechanical parts added.  The Christmas cards, particularly the ones with Santa and Nimble Nicks, were American originals and very popular.  The postcards either have "Whitney Made," as seen on the reverse of this card, or a red W as trademarks.

Rebus puzzles have been around for centuries and use pictures to represent words or parts of words.  The pictograms or pictographs are used for their sounds regardless of meaning. The simple example used on the greeting postcard above was meant to be easy enough for a child to figure out and clever enough to appeal to an adult.  In the 1860s to the 1870s escort cards often featured such puzzles as a fun way for a gentleman to ask a young woman if he could walk her home.  Some linguists believe that Chinese characters and Egyptian hieroglyphs used a similar principle.  In modern times there have been television game shows such as Kidstreet, Concentration, Catchphrase, and Crashbox that have used rebus puzzles.  Several famous people have employed a rebus as a personal device representing a name or as a means of communicating with friends. 

For more interesting trivia about rebus puzzles and the Whitney Made cards, see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rebus
http://www.ebay.com/gds/Vintage-Whitney-Postcards-A-Brief-History-/10000000008110590/g.html

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 174

A very Merry Christmas to all . . .

Today’s card shows the American version of Santa’s house and workshop at North Pole, Alaska.  North Pole is a small city located southeast of Fairbanks, Alaska; however, a large area within the same postal zip code is referred to as the North Pole even though it is south of the actual geographic North Pole by about 1700 miles. 

The Santa Claus House, a gift shop, shown on the postcard is the biggest tourist attraction in the area.  Originally this was a trading post established in the early days of settlement here.  The world’s largest fiberglass statue of Santa Claus can be found outside the Santa Claus House.  More and more Santa Claus themed attractions have been added throughout the years.  Before Christmas the North Pole post office receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa Claus and even more from people who want the town’s postmark on their outgoing Christmas cards.  There is a community program organized to respond to the letters addressed to Santa.  Streets lights are decorated to look like candy canes; streets have names such as, Kringle Drive, Santa Claus Lane, St. Nicholas Drive, and Snowman Lane.  Many local businesses have also adopted Christmas themed colors and decorations as have the local police with patrol cars in green and white, ambulances and fire trucks are all red.  One of the more prominent citizens, Con Miller, became known as Santa Claus because he frequently wore a Santa Claus suit during his early trading days in Alaska.  He served on the city council and was also mayor. 

On the reverse of the card is this message from the North Pole.

For more, see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Pole,_Alaska

Merry Christmas everyone!

If this is Thursday it must be postcards, 173

 

Christmas postcard, 1919

Last week’s postcard Thursday featured a card from 1913 with a Father Christmas set inside a decorative frame.  This week I have chosen two Christmas postcards with greetings from a few years later.  For a short history overview of Christmas cards please see last week’s card and/or check out this site:

http://www.whychristmas.com/customs/cards.shtml

The card above was sent to the Lees in 1919 and is a fairly typical example of a Christmas postcard of the era.  The designs like this one that have a window box showing a winter scene, a tree or other decoration at the front, outside the frame, and a message of the season at the bottom can be found on many cards from about 1915 and into the 1920s.  Another popular custom of the 1910s to 1920s was handmade cards that also had ribbon or foil decorations.  Those cards were generally delivered by hand rather than mailed due to their delicate construction. 

Snow scenes seem logical on Christmas cards in the northern hemisphere since it is winter here in December and Santa Claus is said to live at the North Pole where it is always snowy but the first winter scenes on cards appeared in England as a remembrance of a particularly hard winter in 1836. 

Norwegian Christmas postcard, 1939

This second card, sent to Petra Lee in 1939 by her friends, Inger, Kaisa and Jenny who lived in Bergen, Norway shows a girl in folk costume carrying a lantern in one hand and what looks like a pail in the other as she walks toward the brightly lit houses.  The artist, Nilly Heegaard, has signed the picture at the lower left.  I tried to see if there was any biographical information about Heegaard but was unable to find anything.  Perhaps some of the Norwegian cousins are familiar with her work and will let us know more about her. 

 Reverse

Norwegian 20 øre lion stamp

Instead of the usual post horn stamp this card has the royal lion on a red background.  The cost was 20 øre.  In addition to a thank you and greetings for Christmas the message also carries congratulations to my mother, Marjorie, who had gotten married in April 1939.

It is a little hard to believe that postcards took a one-cent stamp in the United States and were an inexpensive way to send a greeting while today stamps are nearing 50 cents and boxed cards can cost several dollars.