A brief history of Victorian Christmas cards

From dancing Christmas puddings, to a lobster snipping at a child, cats doing acrobatics and a dog postman – explore the wide selection of Victorian Christmas cards at the V&A.

Join curators Alice Power and Sarah Beattie as they take a look at cards from our Prints collection, revealing weird and wonderful Christmas tastes from the Victorian era. In a period of great change and innovation, Victorian card companies didn't hold back on trying new ideas, resulting in bizarre motifs like talking vegetables and clowns, as well as the more familiar robins, holly and Father Christmas.

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Find out more about the first Christmas card.

Header image: Kittens at a market stall, Christmas card, Buday Collection, 19th century. © Victoria and Albert Museum, London