With the increasing availability of inexpensive printing during the early Victorian period, more and more people started sending Christmas cards to each other for the holidays! Hilariously, the first few years of mass produced Christmas cards were....strange at the best, downright morbid at worst. Just....what is happening here??
A sweet sounding sentiment, but why do all the birds have matches??
Similarly strange illustrations made up the very earliest Christmas cards like these:
No idea....none. Have a Happy Christmas or Santa will kidnap your children.
"A hearty welcome" - if you're the bear, I'm sure it's a grand time.
I unironically super love these fancy little kitties with their parasol!
I would actually love more dapper animal cards! Frogs in shoes is just hysterical.
Luckily for us though, eventually the Victorians got on the same page about what Christmas imagery should look like and started making really cute cards like these! With, you know, no creepy animals or kidnapper Santa Clauses...(but Hallmark, feel free to bring back fancy frogs anytime. I mean it!)
So just in time for the holidays, here's some free printable cards for you to send to your dearest bosom friends! Each card features authentic Victorian artwork and holiday sentiments.
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