The Best of Christmas Wishes – Victorian Christmas Card

A wonderfully weird Victorian Christmas card featuring a solemn owl leading a snowy festive procession of foxes carrying an enormous roast bird, an equally enormous carving knife and sprigs of holly — apparently all in the interests of wishing the recipient a good digestion.

Dating from 1889 and published by W. P. Deyo & Co. of Boston, the design accompanies its unlikely Christmas procession with the wonderfully deadpan verse: “This troupe has come, without a question, to wish to you a good digestion. And to this lot of dainty dishes I add the best of Christmas wishes”. The deeply unimpressed owl at its head only adds to the peculiar charm of the scene.

Carefully restored from the original Victorian card, the design preserves the colour, character and wonderfully peculiar details of the period artwork.

- Blank inside for your own message
- Deep green envelopes included
- 5 × 7 in (12.7 × 17.8 cm)
- Fully printed front and back

A little piece of Christmas history

Turn each card over to find the title and approximate date of the original Victorian design, together with a framed detail from the artwork. The fully printed backs have been individually designed to complement each card.

Together, the five cards offer a glimpse into the wonderfully eccentric world of Victorian Christmas greetings - sometimes charming, sometimes funny and occasionally rather unsettling.

Printed in rich colour on silk-finish art card, giving the original illustrations depth and vibrancy while retaining their vintage character. Each card comes with a deep green envelope, chosen to complement the rich reds, aged creams and period colours of the artwork.

Printed in the UK using eco-friendly toner on card made from sustainably sourced pulp and produced as part of the Carbon Capture Programme.

Also available: as part of curated sets of five and ten cards.