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"EXCEPTIONAL PRE-WWI CHRISTMAS CARD WITH DOCUMENTED FAMILY PROVENANCE - RAPIDLY DISAPPEARING PIECE OF AMERICAN HOLIDAY HISTORY!
You're viewing an extraordinary piece of early American Christmas history - a charming 1910s-1920s Christmas card with rare family provenance! These authentic pre-WWI Christmas cards with Germanic influence are rapidly vanishing from the collector market!
This remarkable greeting card connects two specific American families - the Haneys and the Emerys - creating a unique genealogical treasure. This may be your ONLY CHANCE to own this rare example of early 20th century Christmas ephemera with its extraordinary family connection!
Description
This enchanting antique Christmas card features a quintessential winter scene with snow-covered red cottages with thatched roofs nestled among evergreen and bare winter trees.
Two small children in traditional holiday attire (one in vibrant red one in green) walk beside a charming white picket fence gate creating the perfect nostalgic Christmas vignette.
Smoke rises invitingly from the cottage chimney enhancing the cozy winter atmosphere that epitomizes the nostalgic American vision of an ideal Christmas landscape.
The distinctive Germanic influence is revealed in the printed greeting: 'Christmas Greetings und best wishes for the New Year' - with the German 'und' instead of 'and' reflecting the strong German cultural influence on American Christmas traditions before WWI.
The elegant Old English/Gothic typeface of the greeting exemplifies the formal traditional typography that was considered the height of Christmas card elegance in the pre-WWI era.
The card's limited color palette of red green black and white is characteristic of early color printing techniques giving this card its distinctive vintage Christmas aesthetic.
What makes this card truly exceptional is the handwritten inscription on the inside: 'Mrs. & Mrs. A.C. Haney To the Emery Family' in beautiful period penmanship - documenting a real connection between two specific American families during the early 20th century.
Historical Significance
This card dates to a pivotal era in American Christmas history when German holiday traditions had deeply influenced American Christmas customs.
The use of 'und' instead of 'and' reflects the strong Germanic influence on American holiday culture in the years before World War I changed attitudes toward German customs and language.
The period between 1910-1920s represents the golden age of formalized Christmas card exchange when such greetings were considered important social obligations among respectable families.
The Haney and Emery families documented in this card represent real American families whose connection is preserved in this increasingly rare piece of holiday ephemera - making it valuable to both Christmas collectors and genealogists interested in these specific family names.
This card predates the commercialization and mass production of later Christmas cards representing a more personal and culturally significant era of American holiday expression.
The artistic style bridges Victorian Christmas traditions with emerging early 20th century aesthetics capturing a fascinating transitional period in American holiday imagery.
Condition
This century-old Christmas greeting card remains in remarkably good vintage condition considering its delicate nature and advanced age.
The paper retains its structural integrity with a warm even patina of age-toning that adds authentic vintage character without diminishing the beauty of the illustration.
The colors in the winter scene remain surprisingly vibrant particularly the distinctive red cottages and the traditional red and green children's clothing - elements that often fade significantly in cards of this era.
Some light foxing spots (small brownish spots) appear across the surface consistent with the card's age but not detracting from its overall presentation.
A small pink mark or minor tear affects the bottom right corner of the inscription side but this minor flaw does not impact the handwritten provenance or the pictorial content.
The edges show expected wear and slight corner rounding consistent with a card that has survived more than a century while remaining remarkably intact.
Age/Era
This Christmas card dates to approximately 1910-1920s based on multiple distinctive elements that place it firmly in the pre-WWI to immediate post-WWI period.
The Germanic influence with 'und' instead of 'and' strongly suggests a pre-WWI origin as German language elements became less common in American printed materials after 1917.
The distinctive Old English/Gothic typography for the greeting was characteristic of formal Christmas cards from this specific period.
The limited color palette and printing style reflects early color printing techniques available in the 1910s-20s period.
The elegantly formal handwriting style of the inscription 'Mrs. & Mrs. A.C. Haney To the Emery Family' displays the distinctive penmanship taught in American schools during the early 20th century.
The overall design aesthetic with its nostalgic winter scene and traditional Christmas imagery places this card squarely in the early 20th century golden age of Christmas card design.
Rarity
Authentic pre-WWI Christmas cards with Germanic influence have become increasingly scarce as delicate paper ephemera naturally deteriorates or is discarded over the decades.
What makes this example particularly rare is the documented connection between two specific families - the Haneys and the Emerys - creating a piece with both Christmas collector and genealogical research value.
Most surviving cards from this era lack clear provenance connecting specific families making this example especially uncommon and historically significant.
The combination of good condition Germanic language elements and documented family connection places this card in a premium category for both holiday and genealogical collectors.
This may be your ONLY OPPORTUNITY to acquire this specific pre-WWI Christmas card with its unique family provenance - once it's gone it's gone forever!
Collector's Note
This card represents a perfect convergence of multiple collecting interests - vintage Christmas Germanic holiday influence early 20th century illustration and documented family history.
The card makes an extraordinary addition to collections focused on the evolution of American Christmas imagery German influence on American holidays or the distinctive artistic style of early 20th century greeting cards.
Genealogical researchers interested in either the Haney or Emery families would find this card an invaluable documented connection between these families from the early 20th century.
The charming winter scene with its red cottages traditional picket fence and children in holiday attire represents the quintessential early American Christmas aesthetic now vanishing from cultural memory.
As digital communications replace physical greeting cards in modern times these authentic vintage examples become increasingly significant as vanishing ephemera from a more formal and traditional era of American Christmas customs.
Shipping Information
Your rare pre-WWI Christmas card will be carefully packaged in an archival sleeve inside a rigid mailer to ensure its continued preservation for future generations.
Buy multiple postcards and pay only ONE low shipping cost!
Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of vanishing Christmas history with documented family provenance! This extraordinary early 20th century greeting card represents a rapidly disappearing era when Christmas cards were cherished social documents connecting real American families during the holiday season."
_gsrx_vers_1715 (GS 9.9.2 (1715))
Offered by Gosla Antiques & Collectibles, purveyors of antiquities, curiosities and collectible wares. Dispatched from Pennsylvania, United States, with tracking.
Gosla Antiques & Collectibles