1955-12-17 — Page 8

LOOK NO FURTHER

THE CHINA MAIL, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1955.

ANAGER

we

have

GIFTS for EVERYONE

***

TOYS for KIDDIES of all ages, SPORTS GOODS for athletic types SHIRTS ★ SOCKS ★ TIES ★ PYJAMAS ★ PULLOVERS ★ SLIPOVERS ★ DRESSING GOWNS for the Men folk

PERFUMES ★ TOILETRIES ★ HANDBAGS ★ JEWELLERY LINGERIE ★ STOLES

SCARVES * for the Ladies

LINENS ★ FABRICS ★ FURNITURE ★

CHINA & CRYSTAL for Home-lovers

Open till 6 p.m. to-night

From-

Bring the Family!

Lane Crawford's

ALL DEPARTMENTS

Revlon

OPEN UNTIL 7 P.M.. ALL NEXT WEEK

AQUAMARINE LOTION

The Perfect Gift

to give and receive

"And who over heard of Father Christmas getting the afternoon off to go to a football match, may 1 ask?”

A

London Express Service

MAN FORGOT-THAT'S HOW CARDS STARTED

T all began in the year that the finishing touches were put to Nelson's Column in Trafalgar Square. Christ- mas was coming, and the early Victorians were labor- iously writing greetings to relatives and friends. All except one man.

Sir Henry

A

By Ronald Boxall

and the largest ever sent. Tho smallest on record was sunt to the Duke of Windsor when ho was Prince of Wales. It con- sisted of single grain of rice on which was inscribed in In-

subsequent hold-up in the de- jewels and beads, gold 111-

dian ink: corres- bossing even 3-D effects - very of "legiumate pondence,"

were fried and found success- ful.

"To His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Sincere Christmas Greetings

From The

was not an unqualled success at the time. contemporary Journal, "Notes and Queries," described it thus: "A trellis of

Despite this disparagement, rustic work in the Germanesque however, the Christmas card in Animated cards began to ap- style divided

the card into dustry - for that is what it pear. A very early one of this centre and two side panels. The

had become developed so type depicted

Victorian Cole (then plain sides were filled by representa quickly that in 1880 Sir Adolph muiden whose billowing skirts Joseph G. Gillot Pen Co.,

Tuck Jaunched a nation-wide could be made to rise and re. London, England. Mr Cole) had fallen behind tons of the feeding of the hun- competition to discover original veal her voluminous petticoats

clothing of the ideas for his firm's cards. Five and three of correspondence that Kry and the

four inches of winter of 1843. There just Gaked; in

the centre compart thousand entries competed for severely-stockinged ankle as the

600 guineas in prize money a card was opened wasn't time to write to all the ment, a family were shown

old

those days and and big sum in man people who ought to be written table

a maiden and her Royal Academicians actes to But the man who founded woman,

Judges. man, and soverul Victoria and Albert young Museum wasn't to be put out by a little thing like that.

with his

the

The Idea struck him that his friends might be content with

Doubtless a printed card.

he felt that "after

the

all, it is

thought that counts." Cards would at least be novel,

The artist Cole chose to do sign the world's first Christmas card

J.C. was

Horsley, popular painter of his day.

a

The result was considered the lost word in artistic

and a thousand copies printed at Summerly's Treasury Office in Old Street. Those not needed Mr Cole were sold at a shilling coch.

at

children and they were pic- tured drinking healths in wine.”

know

Laud Turning

AS

Poet animated

Season 1929."

And the largest? This is believed to be a card sent to It President Coolidge in 1924, measured 21 by 38 laches.

Most Christmas greetings, Emboldened by success, Sir

however, conform to the tradi commission Adolph began

This was thought daring at tional pattern. And their pro- well-known artists and famous the time, but we moderns -- duction keeps hundreds of writers for designs and verses. If we have any taste at all for thousands of people in Lord Теплубой,

The

employ Christmas carda ment all through the year. This was one of those ap- demand something more excit- year's cards were planned swo

down un

the cards

which years ago, ing, like

and samples

werd offer of 1,000 guineas for a dozen launched a rocket-ship when it sent to suppliers oversens verses, the poet, then in his is opened, or the one that plays least thirteen mouths ago, eightieth year, wrote to Sir "Silent Night" at the turn of a Adolph;

handle.

Indeed, the humble Christmas cannot imagine

card with

has become a valuable This did not come all at once. British

ard export. Millions regret I have forfeited The search for novelty in this opportunity of world-wide Christmas cards was unending, ad

shipped abroad each year, and

"You

even

far corners of

the

is

Df

婚

.7

Horsley Wis crliicised not only for "trying to wed art and manufacture," but also for "en- couraging drunkenness." But what his critics couldn't was that Horsley

no matter how crudely had started what something that was to grow into a vast world-wide ladustry. fame; for, beyond a doubt, these One firm hit upon the idea oach has been specially selected verses would have found their decorating its cards with frost to appeal to local tastes, People Yet Christmas cards did not way into many fashion,

who live in munny climates pre that really gilttered. really catch on with the public the earth where I cannot flatter forb

fer traditional British scenes, were

until about thirty years

enough thatched later. myself

fortunately, they hadn't Home This

cottages, and old- crushed mica to make as many world gardens. But my name was partly due to the known.”

there is cards as the publio wanted. But sulla keen demand for nostal Bond crudeness of the cards them-

production by selves many bore no relation

went on with gie snow scenes from Britona crushed Epsom salts substituted at all to the festive season ...

living abroad, for mica, and partly to the high cost of postage. But with the intro- duction of better designs, colour

this time, the cards printing, and greetings in verve, the card gradually gained in

underwent a drastic change in popularity. Then,

appearance. Previously, their when tho were reduced in postal rates

designs bore little, if any, re- lation to the season. Some 1871, they really arrived.

even depicted summer scenes, But all that was changed with cards was sull on nothing like holly

The dispatch of Christma

the introduction at robins. holly, mistictoc $10W scencs modern scale, of course,

and other "Christmassy" motits, but the habit had grown suffi- The public loved them and ciently to cause concern among still do. our staider Victorian ancestors. The Times of London

More and more ingenuity was Though this was the direct moved to complain about the now going into Christmas card ancestor of the 500 million craze of people trying to out-do production. Elaborate cut-out Christmas cards that were sent each other in the number of shapes, intricate and delicate in Britain alone last year, it cards they acquired, and the lacework, satins and bows,

Several of these

original Cole-Horsley cards have sur- vived, and ome of the most in- feresting is reproduced here. It was sent by Horsley to "His old

Emma friends

and young Agnes," (The spelling

the

and

the rather ham-fisted witticism - are Horsley's own.)

W33

Around

The quest for novelty proved than amusing expensive more for a certain Herr Hollinger of

41 old This year, more Christmas Germany. He found painting of the Holy Family in cards than ever before will be the Bethlehem stable and rent sent. Once again post offices Christmas greeting. The friend additional transport to get them to a friend with a scribbled will engage extra staff and hire showed the painting to experts, all to their destinations before

Identified it as a who promptly

Christmas

It knows Day. anally gave up trying to get it exhortation to "Post Early For missing Rembrant.

Hollinger that the public will ignore the pending nearly Christmas," just as it has been £12,000 in legal rees.

Ignoring it since the phrase was coined by 4 harassed Poste No account of novelty Christm

master-General in 1880, mas carda would be complete

without mention of the smallest

back

for Christmas

Table Linens Bed Covers Pillow Cases

GIVING

aftor

(COPYRIGHT)

Hankies

Handbags Slippers

Silk Slipe Nighties

Pyjamas

Bloutes

Gowns

Jackets

and Everything Embroidered

Swatew Drawn York