This book traces the history of the Christmas card from its Victorian origins, through the Christmas postcards of the Edwardian era and the popular art of the inter-war period, up to the end of the Second World War. It illustrates examples of a wide variety of Christmas cards from each decade and shows how to create your own collection of these colourful, miniature works of art. The first Christmas card appeared in 1843 but the idea did not catch on until almost twenty years later. By the 1880s, sales were well into the millions per year and the Christmas card has retained its popularity ever since.