THE cost of postage these days means that the custom of sending Christmas cards is in danger of dying out.
The popular concept of posting greeting cards to your family and friends is based on it being inexpensive. The first commercially produced card was commissioned in 1843 by Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant who organised the Great Exhibition at Crystal Palace in 1851 and developed museums like the Victoria & Albert in London.
From 1837 to 1840, he was assistant to Rowland Hill and helped create the penny post, which came into being on May 1, 1840, when the first pre-paid Penny Black stamp was stuck on an envelope.
Three years later, Sir Henry commissioned artist John Callcott Horsley to produce 1,000 Christmas cards for him to send through the post – when he ran out of friends to send them to, Sir Henry sold the remaining cards for 6d each.
The heyday of the Christmas postcard was around the time of the First World War when it cost just half-a-penny to stick a green stamp with the head of either Edward VII or George V on it and send seasonal greetings. Next day delivery was guaranteed. Now, at £1.10 for a dark purple first class stamp featuring the head of Charles III, next week delivery doesn’t seem to be guaranteed.
Bishop Auckland historian Tom Hutchinson has kindly sent in some festive postcards from his collection.
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One with robins fluttering down says “in haste, to greet you” captures the spirit of a quick card to say “I’m thinking of you” (above). It was sent on December 23, 1915, from Winnie in West Hartlepool to her friend, Miss SE Kingston, just around the corner. It has a simple message: “Wishing you a very happy Christmas.”
However, life is such that you never know what is around the corner, even at Christmas time.
When William Errington heard the letterbox flap at his home in First Cross Street, Sacriston, on January 6, 1908, he picked up a card covered in Christmas greetings, he probably thought that his cousin was a bit late to the postbox.
But then he read the message on the rear.
“We’ve had bad news from Carlisle. Cousin Arrott Brown has been drowned in Canada boating. Gladys says they are heartbroken about it. JEP”
These innocent cards are little slices of life, both joyful and painful.
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