WWI silk Christmas card sent to wife, Ethell and Glayds from Daddy
c. 1916Rectangular, cream coloured, textured Christmas card with embroidered silk insert sent to wife, Ethell and Glayds from Daddy during World War One. The cover of the card has an oval void through which the embroidery of a basket of red and pink flowers can be seen. Beneath this are the words 'Chistmas Greetings' printed in gold lettering. A red ribbon bow attaches the central pages to the outer card.
On the left side of the paper insert are the words 'With loving Christmas Greetings' as well as a dedication from Daddy to his family in black pen including three large kisses in the form of an X. The maker's details appear in the centre of the lower edge..
On the right side, there is a poem with good wishes for Christmas, written by someone with the initials, M.E.R.
The back cover is plain.
According to the Australian War Memorial, woven silk postcards were first produced in Krefeld, Germany in 1898 as a combination of printed postcards and large woven silk pictures, known as Stevengraphs. The early cards were woven on machines. Being machine made, the woven cards always maintained a high standard.
Embroidered silk postcards were first made in 1900 for the Paris Exposition. The popularity of silk postcards peaked during World War One. A thriving cottage industry began around 1915 and the quality of the early silks was quite high. However later, to satisfy demand, the workmanship was often not quite as high.
Postcard companies began to employ women to produce silks on a rough assembly line basis. The cards were generally hand embroidered on strips of silk mesh with as many as 25 on a strip. They were mostly embroidered by French women in their homes and then sent to the factories for cutting and mounting on postcards.
Some postcards were made with little envelopes which could contain a smaller card with a sentimental message.
Production continued steadily through World War One, declining substantially in 1919, until ending around 1923. An estimated 10,000,000 hand made cards were produced from 1915 to 1919.
There are a large number of silk postcards in the collection, including several groupings relating to individual soldiers and their families. This card is an example of that, having been sent by a soldier who wrote regularly to his wife and both daughters.
Details
Details
On front cover of card:
"Christmas
Greetings"
On inside left of card:
"France
With loving
Christmas Greetings
From a Loveing [sic] Husband and Daddy
To his Dear Wife and Children
X Love
X Ethell
X Glayds"
"PARIS DEPOSE
FABRICATION FRANCAISE"
On inside right of card:
"T'is Christmas, and may joy abound
Be wherever you are found;
Loving friends your hearth surround
Peace within, and peace around.
M.E.R."
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- WWI silk postcard sent to Ethel, Gladys and Daisy from Wally 5 August 1916
- WWI silk postcard 'A Kiss from France' sent in 1916
- WWI silk postcard with flags of the Allies
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- WWI silk postcard with flower, flag and 'Hope and Love'
- WWI silk postcard sent to wife from husband/Daddy June 30 1916
- WWI silk postcard 'A Happy Birthday'
- WWI silk postcard 'Greetings from France'
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