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Section Two The Canadian Statesman, Bowmanville, Dec. 5,1973 9 Social custom of exchanging cards grows from one greeting in 1843 to more than 3-billion annually Most of the traditions of the Christmas season have evolved over the centuries from so many obscure sources and different cul- tures that their exact ori- gins are almost impossible to trace. But there is one out- standi1tg exception: the ex- change of greeting cards. This social custom, which is now almost universally observed, is one of the youngest of our holiday tra- ditions. The very first card, au- 1horities now agree, is the celebrated Cole-Horsléy, de- signed and printed in Lon- don in 1843. Only a dozen of the original 1,000 copies are known to exist and two of these, including the only unsigned and unposted specimen, are part of the Hallmark Historical Collec- tion, the world's largest private repository of greet- ing cards and related mem- orabilia. Safekeeping When not on display in museums and similar insti- tutions, the collection is filed in a specially-con- structed vault at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, Mo. Sir Henry Cole, a wealthy London gentleman, and founder of the Victoria and Albert Museum, asked his friend, John C. Horsley, noted artist and member of the Royal Academy, to de- sign the now-famous card as an unusual means of ex- pressing his kind wishes to friends at the holiday sea- son. This was the golden age of Christmas in England, a time when the holidays were observed with greater reverence and more elabor- ate celebrations than in any period before or since. The personal exchange of good wishes, visiting homes to toast a friend's good health, carol-singing, bring- ing in the Yule log, and great family dinners were all in vogue. The year that Sir Henry's card appeared, incidentally, was also the year in which another of his friends, Chfr Dickens, published "A 'a,-istmas Carol," the immortal story of Ebenezer Scrooge, Bob Cratchit and Tiny Tim. The first Christmas card had three panels. The large center panel showed a fam- ily dinner gathering and the two side panels illus- trated the still popular hol- iday charities of feeding the hungry and clothing the needy. Beneath the illus- trations was the universal greeting: "A Merry Christ- mas and a Happy New Year." Weil researched An American antiquarian and international authority on greeting cards, Carroll A. Means, of Woodbridge, Conn., was instrumental in the research that proved the Cole-Horsley to be the first Christmas card. And in 1959, Means was commis- sioned to institute a search for copies of the original. That year he traced one specimen through the fam- ily of Sir Rowland Hill, founder of penny postage TWO PRICELESS CHRISTMAS cards. Top, the first card ever produced for the holidays. Bottom, another carly version of Yule greeting card. in England, and two years later, Means brought the second Cole-Horsley to this country, the unsigned spec- imen. Christmas cards were first offered "to the trade" by an English publishing house in the 1860's. They carried such designs as jolly old gentlemen (who might have been the forebears of San- ta Claus), plum puddings, holly and mistletoe. At this point, the produc- tion of cards coincided with use of ornamental paper and color reliefs. They were usually either lithographed in copper-plate engravings or colored by hand, as was the Cole-Horsley. Followed trend Lithographs were crude- ly stenciled in color, cut out and pasted on the 'cards, and plain -embossed reliefs were tinted. The cards at- test to the Victorian trend toward embellishment. "Frosting" was a new meth- od of decoration. It was originally produced by a substance made from fine glass blown into bub- bles and then burst. At the end of the 19th Century, a decoration known as "jeweling" be- came popular. This effect was obtained from a thin film of copper which was heated after being t'hemi- cally treated. Lace paper was also used extensively. And ultimate- ly, just about every other means of decoration was used including natural grass, seaweed, dried flow- ers, crewel-work, velvet and chenille, and anything else that could be adhered to paper. The first Christmas cards were introduced in America in 1875 by Louis Prang of Boston, a German immi- grant. They were much ad- mired at the Philadelphia Using candles noel decoratinA There's many a place both expected and unex- pected - for candles to il- lumine your home with a burst of Christmas spirit, says French-born Madame Liane Kuony, designer for Lenox Candles. The candles available for this Christmas burst are colorful and creative, with holiday shapes that include Santas, trees and holly balls; scents of mistletoe, evergreen and holiday spice, and cecorative holders and holly rings which Madame Kuony has created for the Lenox collection. . Apart from their charm as Christmas trimmings, these Yuletide candles make welcome gifts for others. "Couple candles with your ingenuity for festival of light throughout your holi- day home this season," sug- gests Madame Kuony. Here are some of her tips for su- per candle decorating: Start Christmas at the front door by grouping stately columns of varying heights and widths - deco- rated with angel, holly and part e motifs - on a tablik. the foyer. Add one or two holly ball candles for A CERAMIC willi cone-shap fine china. with set a festive Christmas tabl is one of thei from Lenox Ca na is a part of day Collection. contrast, and friends' expre enter your ho] light. Surprise guests with Santa candle setting. They gifts, and a lighted of c Centennial Exposition and proved to be an immediate success. Social custom Except for a brief period in the early 1900's when post cards enjoyed a spate of popularity, the exchange of greeting cards, and espe- cially Christmas greetings, has developed steadily in this country into an estab- lished social custom. In recent years, an esti- mated three billion cards are sent each Christmas season in America. These gay missives, composed of myriads of color, design and expression, play an important role in creating annually the festive spirit of the holiday season at home and also serve to re- unite distant friends and relatives. Holly, ivy symbolic of holiday For a green Christmas, consider holly and ivy. Hol- ly is regarded by some to bring luck to men while ivy does the same for women. Holly represents the home, ivythe inn (for that Yule cup). Holly is also close to Christmas symbolism with its white flowers, red ber- ries, and thorns. Ivy can also depict the frailty of human nature clinging to heavenly strength. And if you get a kiss un- der the mistletoe, remem- ber that the Druids in Brit- ain believed that the para- site brought great blessings. If the kiss is from someone you like, perhaps the super- stition is true. creatively for g novel gifting each dinner plate adds a festive touch to any repast. Nstie a candle dlight- ffully scented with miste- toe or evergreen in a deco- rative ring as an accent for the bath and cealcandlelight gyve your bath a cozy glow. Even xpected places,says g Madame Kuony, such as tec dnner platfielads mantle, and end tables are warmly enhanced with the glow of Christmas candes. Lenox has recreated the three kings,- Gaspar, Bal- thazar and Melchior, as holders for slim tapers that EANTA topped can be grouped at a table's )d candie and center, spread across a h a holly motif mantie or clustered on an mood at any end table surrounded by we. The candae sprays f fin. many novelties She also suggests massing ndges; the chi- column candies or pillars fellox's Hjol interspersed with pino cones and red candMe bals as snappy accents for these cnwatch your areas. cssions as they Add a touch f cand e ne by candle- f antasy, says Madame Kuo- ny, and trim your home your dinner with ail shapes, sizes and' an individual scents of Christmasslumi- at each place naries. 7 make great Lenox Candes are from jolly Santa, the makers f Lenox China/ ýourse, above Crystal. every ing you need to make it on your own, 15-1. multiple set Dress up your Christmas tree with this bright offering from Beaver! Steady burning, soft glowing bulbs with matte finish. In assorted colours. 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