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	Podcast:		The Retrospectors
	Episode:		The First Christmas Card
	Category:		Society & Culture
	Duration:		00:11:33
	Publish Date:		2024-12-17 01:30:00
	Description:		Victorian Henry Cole took delivery of the first ever mass-produced card today in history in 1843. Notably absent from the design was Jesus Christ; Cole had commissioned up-and-coming illustrator John Callcott Horsley to depict a family enjoying a traditional dinner and drinks. The card was a commercial flop, but, by the 1870s, with decreasing postage costs, Christmas cards began to gain popularity among the lower middle classes - and have been circulated ever since. In this episode, Arion, Rebecca and Olly explain why robins, of all birds, became a favourite feature on mass-produced cards; discover Horsley’s campaign against nudes in art; and lament the Victorian card themes that have sadly not endured into the Hallmark era; dogs, cats, rabbits, and clowns… Further Reading: ‘The History of the Christmas Card’ (Smithsonian Magazine, 2015): https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/history-christmas-card-180957487/ ‘The first Christmas card’ (V&A Museum): https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/the-first-christmas-card ‘World's First Christmas Card \| How did the tradition of sending Christmas cards start?’ (Postal Museum, 2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDml2EBWTho This episode first premiered in 2023, for members of
	Total Play:		0