By Robert Reed The Vintage Postcards for the Holidays book includes scores of classic Christmas images from nearly a century ago.
Compelling views present early 1900 Yuletide scenes of Santa not only in costumes of red, but also in less frequently found green, blue, and lavender. Other vintage Christmas postcard range from then ‘new’ automobiles to distinguished artists such as Ellen Clapsaddle.
“Postcards featuring Santa Claus represent a class by themselves when it comes to early holiday greeting postcards,” according to the authors Robert and Claudette Reed. “Early in the birth of the 20th century they probably did more than any other print medium to establish the jolly old elf firmly in the American mindset.”
On such postcards Santa would be found wearing a long lavender robe or wearing a modem Americanized red suit. Santa could be puffing upon his pipe or unloading toys from his sack for delighted children. Today, say the authors, those varying yet classic conceptions of Santa are among the most collectible of all holiday postcards.
The variations of Santa on vintage postcards were in fact endless. Sometimes the clothing was robe-like, at other times it was clearly a suit consisting of a jacket and separate pants. Usually the jacket and pants were of the same color, but occasionally a stylish Santa wore a red jacket with contrasting blue plants. Then too Santa might be peering into a window, standing in front of the fireplace, or inspecting his workshop records. Moreover he might be in a sleigh, on ice skates, or riding in an automobile.
Overall the Christmas holiday “undoubtedly had more impact on the early 20th century printing of holiday greeting postcards than any other holiday:’ note the Reeds.
There were more Christmas greeting postcards published during the height of their popularity than all other holiday greeting postcards combined. They were lavishly illustrated with angels, animals, birds, children, church views, flowers, holly, snow scenes and Christmas trees.
From the first half dozen years of the 1900s through the 1920s they were published by hundreds of thousands. Today many of the surviving examples are treasured mementos of Christmas past, add the authors.
Vintage Postcards of the Holidays, 2nd edition, by Robert and Claudette Reed, includes more than 1,000 different holiday postcards in full color. Christmas, Easter, Halloween, New Year’s and Valentine’s Day are among them. The book, 288 pages, is from Collector Books or from leading booksellers nationwide.
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