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"RARE CHRISTMAS DAY POSTMARKED ART POSTCARD - VANISHING PIECE OF BRITISH MUSEUM HISTORY!
You're viewing an increasingly scarce piece of museum ephemera - a genuine used Victoria and Albert Museum postcard featuring a delightful Victorian winter scene postmarked on Christmas Day 1970! These authentic used museum postcards with Christmas Day postmarks are rapidly disappearing from the collector market!
Sent via airmail from London to Florida during the 1970 Christmas season this postcard represents a vanishing connection between British museum art and international holiday correspondence. This may be your ONLY CHANCE to own this perfect time capsule of British art appreciation during the festive season!
Description
This exquisite postcard features a vibrant color reproduction of the charming 19th century hand-colored lithograph 'A Slippery Day' by J. Bettannier and C. Regnier (worked c.1850) after Guerard.
The delightful winter scene depicts a humorous moment frozen in time - Victorian-era gentlemen and ladies in formal attire slipping and sliding on an icy London street capturing both the elegance and unexpected mishaps of 19th century urban winter life.
The central focus is a fashionable woman in a striking red-trimmed coat who has already fallen on the ice with her loyal small dog looking on with apparent concern - a charming detail that adds emotional resonance to this vignette of Victorian daily life.
Various other figures in impeccable period dress (including distinguished gentlemen in top hats and long coats) are shown in different states of losing their dignified composure on the treacherous icy surface creating a scene both elegant and amusingly relatable across centuries.
The background showcases bare winter trees and atmospheric misty outlines of buildings creating the perfect foggy snowy London winter atmosphere so characteristic of Victorian art and literature.
This reproduction perfectly captures the nuanced colors and delicate details of the original lithograph which is a prized possession in the Victoria and Albert Museum's renowned collection of 19th century art.
Historical Significance
The Victoria and Albert Museum in London holds one of the world's finest collections of decorative arts and design making their official reproductions highly valued by art collectors and historians alike.
This postcard was printed under 'Crown copyright' - indicating its official status as an authorized reproduction by one of Britain's most prestigious cultural institutions.
The original artwork by Bettannier and Regnier dates from around 1850 during a period when lithography was reaching new heights as an art form and hand-coloring was still practiced by skilled artisans before color printing became widespread.
The winter scene depicted captures a moment of Victorian daily life that resonates with our modern experience while providing a window into the fashions social customs and urban experiences of 19th century London.
Most remarkably this card was actually postmarked on Christmas Day 1970 - an exceptional rarity as mail typically wasn't processed on Christmas Day making this a documented piece of British postal history as well as art history.
The handwritten holiday greeting 'Happy Christmas and love from Breezy & Mike Davies with happy memories of you and Sardinia!' captures the personal connections maintained through international correspondence in the pre-digital era - a vanishing form of communication that grows more historically significant with each passing year.
Condition
This 53-year-old postcard remains in good condition considering its age and international journey with the charming Victorian winter scene still clearly visible in impressive detail.
The front image shows the expected moderate wear of a genuinely used piece of ephemera including some age-appropriate yellowing/toning around the edges that actually enhances its authentic vintage character.
The artwork colors remain impressively clear despite the subtle overall fading consistent with a half-century-old museum reproduction allowing full appreciation of the delightful winter scene.
The reverse side shows moderate aging appropriate to its five decades of existence some ink transfer and light corner wear - all signs that validate the card's genuine 1970 provenance.
The handwritten Christmas message remains completely legible preserving the personal holiday connection between sender and recipient across both time and the Atlantic Ocean.
The London S.W.A. postmark from December 25 1970 remains clearly visible as does the distinctive blue 'BY AIR MAIL PAR AVION' label - both key elements that document this card's authentic journey and Christmas Day processing.
Age/Era
This postcard can be precisely dated to December 25 1970 thanks to the clear Christmas Day postmark making it a perfect time capsule from exactly 53 years ago.
The printing quality and paper stock are consistent with the museum-quality art reproductions of the early 1970s when color reproduction technology was becoming more sophisticated but still retained a distinctly vintage character.
The detailed attribution text on the reverse - including the exact measurements of the original artwork (17 1/16 by 18 9/16 in.) and museum reference numbers (E.54 E.1871-1938) - exemplifies the scholarly attention to detail characteristic of Victoria and Albert Museum publications of this period.
The handwritten address format with its elegant cursive script captures the formal correspondence style typical of the early 1970s before standardized addressing became universal.
The Boca Raton Florida ZIP code (33432) confirms this card's journey from London to the American east coast during the height of the holiday season in 1970.
Rarity
While Victoria and Albert Museum postcards were produced in reasonable quantities examples with verifiable Christmas Day postmarks are exceptionally uncommon as mail typically wasn't processed on this major holiday.
Used museum art postcards from this specific era with documented international holiday use are becoming recognized as important artifacts documenting both art appreciation and global connections in the pre-digital age.
The combination of the Victorian winter scene subject matter the preserved airmail label and the extremely unusual Christmas Day postmark creates a uniquely documented piece that stands out from typical museum reproduction cards.
As interest in museum ephemera and postal history continues to grow these authentic examples of international art appreciation are disappearing from circulation as they are absorbed into permanent collections.
This may be your ONLY OPPORTUNITY to acquire this specific Victoria and Albert Museum reproduction with its documented Christmas Day 1970 mailing - once it's gone it's gone forever!
Collector's Note
This postcard would make an excellent addition to collections focused on museum art reproductions Victorian genre scenes winter imagery British postal history or Christmas ephemera.
The combination of the charming Victorian winter scene and the documented Christmas Day mailing creates perfect crossover appeal for collectors of both fine art reproductions and holiday postal history.
The detailed attribution information printed on the reverse provides valuable provenance that enhances this card's collectibility and historical significance.
This card represents the international cultural connections that were maintained through physical correspondence in the pre-digital era making it a tangible artifact of how art appreciation transcended national boundaries.
As physical postcards continue to decline in the digital age these authentic museum art reproductions from the mid-20th century become increasingly significant cultural artifacts.
Shipping Information
Your vintage Victoria and Albert Museum postcard will be carefully packaged in an archival sleeve and shipped in a rigid mailer to ensure safe arrival.
Buy multiple postcards and pay only ONE low shipping cost!
Don't miss this rare opportunity to own a piece of vanishing museum and postal history! This authentic Victoria and Albert Museum postcard with its exceptional Christmas Day 1970 postmark captures both the timeless charm of Victorian winter art and a documented moment of international holiday correspondence that becomes more historically significant with each passing Christmas 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