A brief history of (weird and wonderful) Victorian Christmas cards | V&A

[@nunyabiznes33]

The Victorians were really true cat enjoyers. I also like that translucent cards. It looks cool even to my modern eye.

[@OdeInWessex]

You can blame Louis Wain for that one.

[@IrishAnnie]

They were stunning.

[@veryberry39]

Never have much thought to the "llamas and sloths" thing til it was pointed out in context. I love the idea that future historians might be just as amusedly confused over it as we are by Christmas lobsters!

[@vamuseum]

Can't wait for historians in 3022 to be figuring out our obsession with Louis Theroux

[@IrishAnnie]

Gnomes have been trending for two years in ALL stores I have shopped this season. And tree ornaments are equally crazy. Star Wars, Kitchen appliances, super hero’s. A hundred years from now, they will be scratching their heads…..

[@themermaidstale5008]

@@IrishAnnie Hopefully there will be collectors of these things, too.

[@IrishAnnie]

@@themermaidstale5008 There will be, and they will be worth a fortune!

[@stardust949]

LOL! I am giving one of my daughter-in-laws a very saucy pair of Lobster Earrings as a gift this Christmas---she enjoys odd things like that. 😉

[@GiselleMetcalf-Grosso]

I would purchase a book that had all of these whimsical and fantastic images. The card with the rabbits playing ping pong was adorable, and the image of the beetles playing cards was quirky and brought a smile!

[@zyxw2000]

Such books probably exist, if you search the web.

[@mimsnkinks]

The Crystal Palace card absolutely took my breath away. So much lovely detail in all the cards. Thank you for this heart warming video

[@michelehood8837]

That was my favorite one

[@katierobertson9459]

the v&a NEEDS to reproduce the Great Exhibition card for their gift shop, i almost cried when you opened it up

[@muffincandle1413]

"Despite what you may think, this is actually a loaf of bread"... I love that the presenter was anticipating us thinking it was maybe a poo emoji 🤣🤣🤣

[@vamuseum]

👀

It looks a little bit like poo....

[@CoalMnrsDotr]

And the co presenter saying " disturbingly human hands" in regard to the dog postman card. Lol

[@63artemisia63]

Compared to some of the idiotic puns I’ve heard, the Victorian puns are charming. Jingle, jingle, ho-ho-ho to the V&A staff 👌

[@blazetings]

😂😂😂 💩 💩 💩

[@IrishAnnie]

The presenters were incredible. They explained the cards so well. This was a wonderful presentation. Thank you so much! ❤️🎄⛄️🎅🎁

[@stardust949]

One of the reasons I still send Christmas cards, with individually written notes inside, and often photographs---is to put into their lives something TANGIBLE. To receive it, in their daily mail---with love and decorations and personal caring. To me, it expresses to them that their presence in my life is meaningful---they count and are important. I enjoyed this video, thank you.

[@grown-upactress4155]

Same

[@maple1255]

What a beautiful display of Victorian Christmas cards, in such wonderful condition. I like how very gently you display them, they have found a fine home there at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

[@JoMarieM]

That 3D angel card was absolutely gorgeous! And the translucent card was really cool, too! I wish that more cards could be made like that today!

[@magicknight13]

Simply wow!! What an incredible collection. The presenters were really great too! The novelty and delicate cards are my absolute favorite. I almost shed a tear those last two minutes! My dad and I have always been card-givers and I feel very happy watching this, I will definitely come back and watch it many more times! 😊

[@user-jl9og1rx6i]

The level of ingenuity and attention to details is so inspiring. I see a lot of humanity coming through their craftmanship. History exists to benefit from it, not to quarrel over. This is the most important part we don't seem to get from history. Thanks for sharing it. We need more of it each day.

[@marjoleinspruijt4154]

I have over 300 postcards antique ones and new ones that look old. They don't make them like that anymore. The detail is amazing

[@CrowSkeleton]

Looking at the card at 2:50 makes me wonder how long memes (or "fads", I suppose) would last in the pre-digital era...some Victorian would be cracking up at the old "giant lobster devouring children", I bet.

[@mvdl1224]

Very informative as always. This video is just the cheese V&A!

[@vamuseum]

Brie-lliant! 🧀

[@OdeInWessex]

@@vamuseum Oh God, please make it stop! 😆

[@hogwashmcturnip8930]

This cheese thing. In Spain everything is 'La Leche' The Milk! It is used to describe cool things, bad things and everything in between They will even take a '*' in the milk. I have seen two opposing explanations of that one. One being so Happy, and the other being the direct opposite. So maybe dairy products were once common slang for emotions and things and events. After all people used to talk about the Cat' Whiskers, the dog's ** and the Bees Knees!

[@ArtisticCeleste]

I adore victorian greeting cards and holiday cards! They're such pretty little illustrations-my parents go on vacation to Pennsylvania during the summer every year, and at antique shops down there my mother likes to pick me up a few to give me at Chritmas-I keep them in a binder to reference sometimes since I like painting botanicals and there's a lot of pretty flowers to get inspired by :D

[@newchapterasmr]

Oh i’m in love with those special cards at the end, they’re absolutely stunning

[@malthesse]

I've heard that the Victorians also used to send Christmas cards portraying dead birds, and perhaps other dead animals as well. That feels really bizarre, and I wonder what that was all about. I've also heard somewhere that the reason that so many Victorian Christmas cards had spring motifs rather than winter motifs is because Christmas also used to be a time of romantic love, where you used to court your love interest, and of course the spring with birds and flowers are motifs strongly associated with love and romance.

[@nikkitronic80]

I make my own Christmas cards to send to family and friends, have for years now. It’s such a joy to me to make a special card for a special someone. I just love to see the old Victorian cards and get ideas from them! So clever!

[@emmakayisnotok7322]

with out fail, anytime i watch videos of this sort i find myself sobbing over how much im moved by the deep humaity of the past we are just as human now as we were then and just as much then as we are now i find often that people sometimes seem to think were so much better now than the people of the past but its like... look at the photos and the post cards and the letters look at the news papers and magazines we have always been deeply human and its just so fucking beautiful to me

[@T5-635]

Each and every card is truly fascinating. Some are beautiful. I have a wedding invitation to my Great great Aunt's " get together " after the wedding. Its dated 1906. It opens out into a little book style. It has the initals of the bride and groom on a heart. I could spend hours looking at these Xmas cards. Uniqe in their own way. Thank you so much.

[@jwolfe1209]

So much in common with modern cards... Anthropomorphic animals? check! Objects with "cute" faces? Check! Popular slang that makes no sense to anyone outside the group? Check! Puns that are both cringy and kind of charming? Omg check! I can see a historian 150 years in the future doing a similar show and tell with the current batch of meme based cards roaming around!

[@vamuseum]

I'd love to time travel and find out what they make of the symbolism behind Kermit the Frog

[@jemandjemand2362]

the last one with those angels was super cool

[@joethelion6016]

I collected 'scraps' as a kid. The vintage looking Victorian ones were gems

[@PamelaCatherine24]

Beautiful cards and very unique. Really enjoyed this video. The last card with angels and nativity is stunning. Wish they would reproduce that one today!

[@ncorp2668]

Both of these ladies carefully and delicately turning the pages is unintentional ASMR! I love the pop up cards and the ones with the animals. 😍

[@dafydd56]

Henry Cole's first Christmas card shows more than a family feasting. Each side of the central image shows charity being given to the poor. It might even be a timely reminder that surfeiting at Christmas can be unhustified when the poor are ignored.

[@r.b.8061]

This was jolly good fun - love the x-mas sweaters - very good presentation of a lovely theme.

[@LisaHoneychan]

The rabbits playing ping-pong in the snow is so funny and bizarrely ~not~ very Christmassy, I just love it!

[@zyxw2000]

Me, too.

[@Avellania]

If someone reprinted it, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.

[@SallyGreenaway]

Absolutely spectacular. Thank you for this video

[@yvellebradley2502]

Absolutely gorgeous cards! Beautiful.💝

[@floraposteschild4184]

Besides the Crystal Palace, my favourite was the lobster card. Lobster was a traditional holiday dish, so I guess the lobsters were trying to get a little of their own back!

[@grown-upactress4155]

I agree. My childhood Italian-American Christmases always included lobster.

[@CraftRoulette]

I really enjoyed this. As a card maker, it was illuminating.

[@prof.heinous191]

Many thanks V&A for this year's whacky electronic Christmas cards - you've saved me a fortune!

[@sylviajones4907]

Thank you for this video. Quite interesting. Loved the pun cards & that last 3D card. The railway one showing the light was beautiful.

[@oscarzoraldo4505]

The table card had me in stitches XD

[@gigteevee6118]

It’s amazing how quickly the Christmas card thing has died out in the UK, only a few years ago they’d be dozens, now less then 10. When I was a kid in the 80’s it would have been 100’s

[@gwynwellliver4489]

These are fabulous, especially the kittens and the cayfish.

[@tietomallamo]

amazing video! And the two assistant curator are super good and proud at sharing their knowledge

[@caspence56]

Truly enjoyable and amazing. The card that was held up to the light was exquisite.

[@aboutfeddy]

This is so beautiful and interesting! I can feel their excitement in handling such a prexious and delicate art 💖

[@butternut5385]

How gorgeous! I could look at these all day. Oh, to work at the V&A!

[@newchapterasmr]

So interesting. All these videos make me wanna work in the V&A and I dont even live in the same country as it

[@2MuchPurple]

What a wonderful collection of cards! Thank you! ❄🐦🌲

[@erosleroi7638]

Thanks for sharing such a magnificent collection!

[@StephenRoss-pj9ih]

I 💖 Victorian images! Every year a get a Cynthia Hart calendar, each month is a feast for the eyes. Merry Christmas🎄

[@zyxw2000]

I love the pop-up card showing the Crystal Palace.

[@dueschen_]

A truly wonderful video. The cards are detailed and beautiful. Love the animals and the ones with the Puddings. Thinking about starting a collection of my own. ^^ Merry Christmas!

[@grown-upactress4155]

I make cards, thinking next year to do a Victorian theme!

[@beritbunny]

These are all incredible and wonderful! I can only say I wish we’d seen more!!!

[@JannKilc]

I'm happy to see that I'm not the only one who saves Christmas cards (no, not all of them just the extra special ones).

[@grown-upactress4155]

The dryness of the 1st presenter is the best!

[@SpanishEclectic]

I have a few original Raphael Tuck and Sons Valentine cards that my grandmother received as a child from her father (my great-grandfather), circa 1905. Several are embossed heavy paper, with flowers and very similar artwork. I believe they were purchased at the Tuck and Sons store in New York City.

[@EternalNyappy]

I need to write "may your Christmas be cheese" to someone. Great comparison of the animals to llamas and sloths these days! Some trends just don't translate and have any reason. As a Finnish, Santa Claus is very important to me, so it was fun to see how he was portrayed like that in Victorian era, as he might have been a child punishing man dressed up as a goat here 😅 Such cute history lesson, thank you!

[@aboutfeddy]

The Santa Claus with a red hat and a green coat looked like the meme man sitting with his cup in front of the computer and smiling!

[@vamuseum]

@@aboutfeddy The original inspiration for Hide the Pain Harold

[@jinju42]

0:20 😃isn't she clever to put the mic inside the Christmas stocking on her jumper 🧦🎄🧑‍🎄

[@sophiatomlinson1231]

This is such a beautiful video, thank you so much!

[@barbaram5214]

Really interesting! My favorite was the Crystal Palace card.

[@Backto5oh5]

Wonderful! If only it was longer 😍

[@suecox2308]

That was a lovely presentation--thank you for sharing these treasures with us.

[@kindafoggy]

Could be that the "just the cheese" reference was implying that the giver hoped that they receiver wouldn't get any nutty people stopping by for the holiday celebrations... as in all types of people at Christmas visit "from cheese to nuts"--- rather "just the cheese" ??

[@nhatanhnguyen1192]

This is really inspiring to be honest! Thank for sharing such an amazing collection & stories 💌

[@mc6348]

These were all wonderful to see. Thank you.

[@krutibhavsar9534]

Charming!... Happy Christmas @V&A

[@giovanni5063]

I have collected Christmas cards for years. Mostly the cards are the ones with illustration on the obverse and addressed on the reverse. I love Christmas but have many disappointing memories of years gone by. The images that I prefer are of children awakening to Christmas morning and discovering treats that have been bestowed by Santa.

[@emailsmarkhall]

Now I'm a fan of history. Very well presented!

[@themermaidstale5008]

Wow! So much eye candy to look at. It was a feast for the eyes.

[@gemstonesparkle7915]

Gosh, thank you! This is one of the prettiest videos I’ve seen this year.

[@KSMP]

The one with the insects is my favorite! I'd love to have that in a frame on my wall ❤

[@sliva7938]

Stunning. Thank you and Happy Christmas.

[@ozdigg9254]

Wonderful. Thank you.🌹🌹🌹

[@katherinelangford981]

I'd 100% send out that children getting snapped at by giant lobsters card and put "Greetings of the season. Thinking of you." Update: just screen shot it. It'll be reworked and is going out next year.

[@lisabarr6004]

Loved this, great presentation. New sub from 🇨🇦..and of course..Merry Christmas! 🎄⭐️💛 ;^)

[@lindafarnes486]

In Australia we have some freshwater lobsters called yabbies. At times they go for walks. Back in the late 60s and early 70s when a lot of homes still had the dread out door toilets (dunnies), and depending where you lived, a night time trip to the dunny could be a scary thing indeed, if the yabbies where on the move. Good times.😂

[@keropi193]

I wish I could be alive when historians are dissecting the "cute animals holding knives" trend on instagram

[@tomvalveede6808]

There is a legend about Robins that is the reason for their being associated with Christmas: "On the first Christmas, as the Holy family were in a manger and it was cold, they had a small fire and a small, plain, brown bird kept the fire going by flapping it's wings. It's said that the Virgin Mary saw what the plain, brown bird had done to keep the Christ Child warm and she said to the little bird, "l've seen how you labored tonight to keep the fire going and in appreciation for your labours, as you now glow before the flames of the fire, you shall now always have the bright color of the fires glow on your breast in memory of your very special efforts to keep the Holy Babe warm!" The plain, brown bird then wore the orangey-red color of the fire on it's breast, from that Holy Night on. It would no longer be just a plain, brown bird but a bird with the brightly colored breast to recall the efforts of its ancestor on the first Christmas. ♥️

[@OdeInWessex]

That's so lovely, I have never heard that before - not in very secular England anyway. Wishing you a lovely Christmas for you and yours, wherever you are!

[@tomvalveede6808]

@@OdeInWessex Thank you! So nice of you to reply! I'm in Kansas City. You have a happy Christmas also and many thanks for your great video! ♥️🌲🎅🌲🎉🎉🎉

[@anniehague1554]

Magnificent presentation. Thank you. Best regards.

[@anastasiabeaverhausen8220]

Thank you. That was delightful. Fascinating and informative.

[@ChristopherHemsworthCreative]

This is incredible. Thank you so much for sharing this. However, all I could think throughout was: how did they actually MAKE these things back then? I understand how we would produce these types of products now with modern printing houses, and automated cutting beds, etc, but back then would they have created a die-cut to make all those intricately cut pieces? Where could one learn more about the production side of Victorian Christmas cards?

[@darynhanson2095]

Does anyone out there know who first created the images of the beautiful Victorian children angels with the long white coats. I love them so very much, but I can't find any info on their origins.

[@PhilipMurphy8Extra]

Such a great collection of cards, Thanks and Merry Christmas 🎄

[@patriciagerresheim2500]

The sentiment of 'being just the cheese' seems to be somewhat equivalent of the 1920s saying of something being 'the bee's knees', i.e. the best thing going.

[@nadineweiler7747]

I so enjoyed this video! Great education of a long time tradition…….

[@tmackie1694]

Lovely video. Thank you, V&A.

[@CoalMnrsDotr]

Delightful video. Thanks.

[@Jynxxxycat]

Please, PLEASE do a feature on Helena Jane Maguire postcards! Her work is popular to this day, and yet, her name remains largely unknown. She was an incredibly prolific artist, as well!

[@ladytron1724]

Absolutely beautiful 😍🎄🎅🏻 14:14

[@reneesimpson7094]

Thank you! I have always questioned why you guys weren’t wearing gloves to handle paper. Got it now!

[@judithdomangue9995]

So enjoyable to see!

[@tania.creates]

thank you for this - absolutely delightful

[@r8chlletters]

This was so delightful 🤍 thank you and Happy Christmas 🎄

[@maggiedaniels9562]

Are the faces on the plum puddings before or after Tenniel Looking Glass illustrations? They resemble II think.

[@cerwelt]

Lovely presentation. I make one of a kind cards for all my friends and family members. Perhaps one day mine will find its day into a museum.

[@OdeInWessex]

Sign them on the back with your location and a date to give future collectors and curators something to look for. In the meantime wishing you and yours a very Happy Christmas and peaceful New Year.

[@cerwelt]

@@OdeInWessex I hand write “Made 4 U by me” then my name and the year. I genuinely try to remember to do so on every card!

[@eily_b]

I wish there would be some of these cards reprinted. 🎅🎄

[@shiao3990]

Really really really love it!

[@gavinbennett1849]

Interesting, and lovely cards, to think these cards were posted at Christmas and received, in to these long dead peoples Victorian house's

[@Moraymakeup]

Great video, very enjoyable to watch x

[@themarquis336]

What a video. My God! 🫶🏻🎄

[@gracepriestley4376]

I’d love to buy these!

[@anitchlikadze3451]

So beautiful❤️

[@yesterdaydream]

My Christmas wish is that lavalier microphones in tiny stockings will become a "very ubiquitous" tradition!

[@GDLP9603]

These days we send memes 😄 This was an inspired production!