First commercial Christmas card dated 1843 is to be auctioned

THE first printing of the first commercial Christmas greetings card dated 1843 is to be auctioned.

Commissioned by Sir Henry Cole and designed by John Calcott Horsley, the hand-coloured central card shows a family raising a toast to the health of an absent friend, the addressee.

All the characters are seen holding glasses except for the three small children who are eating plum pudding.

The card, published in the same year as Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol in 1843, is expected to sell for between £5,000 and £8,000.

It is currently available to view at Christie’s in London ahead of the auction house’s upcoming Classic Week sales.

The piece will go under the hammer during the valuable books and manuscripts sale on December 9.

Classic Week will also see the auction of A Banquet Still Life by Jan Davidsz De Heem with an estimate of £4-6 million.


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Written by

Charlie Loran

Manchester born mummy with a two year old diva (2020), living on the Costa del Sol for just short of a decade.
Former chef and restaurateur, holistic health fanatic and lover of long words.

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