The working life of Museum of London

Each month we offer an insight into a fascinating object from our vast collection, this month we feature a Christmas card from 1890.

The tradition of sending Christmas cards to friends and family became fashionable during the reign of Queen Victoria and has survived the intranet age to remain a popular way of staying in contact over this festive time.

This card from our collection represents the look and design of some of the earliest cards ever to be sent.

Here, a clown holding a large Christmas pudding pops up when the Christmas card is opened.

 Victorians felt that clown’s added fun, surprise and mischief to many a Christmas scene as they were leading performers in the popular Christmas pantomimes in theatres at the time.

Although clowns are not now seen as necessarily embodying the spirit of Christmas, in the Victorian period, they symbolised the festive spirit of both Christmas and the New Year to both young and old.

Inside the card, a seasonal poem is printed to accompany the sender’s personal messages:

“Hurrah! Hurrah! For Christmas Day, and the pudding so big and jolly, may you my dear be just as gay when all’s gone, save the holly”.

The sending of Christmas cards and many of the other traditions of Christmas such as “dressing the tree” that developed in Victorian times and gained popularity through the works of authors such as  Charles Dickens are explored in a series of events at both museums during the holiday period.