Christmas holiday greeting cards have been popular in Great Britain and the United States since their inception in 1843. The advanced development of color printing and the establishment of a trade interested in decorative stationery, combined with Victorian tastes and fashions, led to a profusion of styles and types of cards. This exhibition features some of the cards prevalent during the Victorian era. The cards differ in how they were made and the subjects they show but they all reveal aspects of Victorian life and attitudes.

The text of this exhibit is based on the guide to an exhibition of the same name held at the Lilly Library from December 1, 1992, to January 30, 1993.