Happy Christmastide

Here's a Raphael Tuck & Sons trade card from the early 1880s.  Raphael Tuck and his family produced beautiful cards from the 1870s until 1960.

The back of the card is blank, except for the logo. Here are some previous posts of Tuck cards.

Playing Squash at Christmas

This is a trade card, not a postcard. Trade cards were popular from about 1870 to 1890 as advertising and as collectibles.  In most cases it's clear what was being advertised, but there may also have been businesses that gave cards out to customers without their business name. It's also possible that this is a sample card, before imprinting.  Or, perhaps the artist was advertising, although I couldn't find out anything about E.E. Manly.
It may seem odd that the young lady is holding a squash racket, but squash was starting to gain in popularity in the 1880s.

 

 

Here's the back of the card.

New Year Greetings from Belgium

The kind and wonderful Janine bought this card at a flea market in Belgium and sent it to me. Thank you, Janine!

The printed text is in French, but the card's message was written in Dutch. In many ways, the card is similar to other cards that sought to bring attention to the needs of war orphans during and after World War I.
This card points out that it is the powerful who wage war, but that the resulting misery and suffering affect the humble people in their homes. How many men die as heroes defending the flag and leave behind crying wives, mothers, and sisters? And then the little ones who suffer from hunger, to them I reach out my hand. 

The text on the card is signed by Elsa Ghislaine in Brussels and dated 1914, 1915, 1916, and 1917.

Gabriella sent this card to her family in January, 1922 with the following message:

Dear Family,

To celebrate the New Year, we send you our best wishes and greetings from us all.

Gabriella

Be sure to join Janine at her blog to see some of her beautiful artwork.