This wonderful Christmas Postcard above is just an example of what you can find, if you are searching at Car Boot sales, Fleamarkets or Antique Fairs or shops. So cheap too at 50p for a small part of our history. A good thing for Children to start collecting, not expensive & doesn’t take up too much room.

The custom of sending Christmas cards was started in the United Kingdom by Sir Henry Cole in 1843. He had helped set up the new Public Record Office, now the Post Office, where he was an Assistant Keeper.

Henry had the idea of Christmas Cards with his friend John Horsley, who was an artist. They designed the first card and sold them for 1 shilling each.

The card had three panels. The outer two panels showed people caring for the poor and in the center panel was a family having a large Christmas dinner! Some people didn’t like the card because it showed a child being given a glass of wine! About 1000 (or may have been less) were printed and sold. They are now very rare and would cost thousands of Pounds if you found one. Picture above from lovely Blog by @mardixon

So even in times past, with the opportunity to send a Christmas card to friends and loved ones, people still occasionally opted for something else.

Sometimes when I find old photos to add to my collection, I notice when I come to scan them, that they have Christmas or New Year wishes written on the back. So this year I thought I would share some of these with you. I think it’s a lovely idea to send a nice family photo rather than a Christmas card…and so much more personal.

This one above is super & sent from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States of America just one hundred years ago ! Were they from the UK & emigrated to America like so many others ? This then would have probably been sent to family still living here in UK…….

Here’s some more lovely pictures & greetings below, obviously sent from France, first ones sent in 1910, then a dear little boy Robert sent in 1916, one hundred years ago. Husband is French & wife Sophie English I assume.

This last one is a smashing group photo from E. Edgar.

Huge Thanks to everyone who’s been reading my blog in this past year, I really appreciate it, and all who follow me on Twitter, my Facebook page and Instagram….Its fabulous to be able to share my passion, with such super like minded people.

Hope you all have a wonderful Merry Christmas time & Happy New Year.

Till next time then…In 2017…