AngDesign

Competitions and Exhibitions

Other firms were soon to follow these ideas of Christmas card competitions and exhibitions, from 1877, Hildersheimer and Faulkner of Jewin Street, London, arranged quite a large competition and exhibition, which was held in the Suffolk Street Gallery, (later to be the Royal Society of British Artists' Gallery).  In 1882, they paid out 5,000 pounds in prizes.

Alice Havers (winner of the first prize of 250 pounds) was the daughter of the manager of the Falkland Islands and she married the artist Frederick Morgan.  Because of her success in the Christmas card competition, she became one of the most Sought after artists of that time and she continued to design such cards right up until her death in 1890. Hildersheimer and Faulkner introduced photogravure cards in 1892, they also experimented in many ways in order, to improve their greetings cards, these included mixing silver with the colours so that in the winter scenes the glistening of the snow will be more realistic.

Adolph Tuck

Even after the introduction of greetings cards, due to Henry Cole, and the sudden increase of designers, it was thought that they were not very popular, until Adolph Tuck became familiar with the idea, and launched a Christmas card design competition in 1880, with a 500 guinea prize. It is therefore Adolph Tuck who is considered to have stimulated the most interest in Christmas cards, however it was not until 189) that Such cards received Royal approval, when Queen Victoria ordered some from Adolph Tuck's father Raphael.

Messrs Goodall

In a letter to the Times in 1883 it was said that it was Messrs Goodall (the playing – card manufacturers of Camden Town from 1862), who were the most ambitious and commercialised the issues of Christmas card production.  People who could remember this period said that Goodall's is the most prominently associated name with Christmas card production.

AIfred Bryan

Alfred Bryan was a designer of political cartoon cards.  Alfred designed such political cards like Gladstone in an express train ('I shall soon be back into power') or Lord Randolph Churchill, (Winston Churchill's father) sitting on a crescent moon and playing a mandolin. These cards however were thought of as fun and were not found to be the least bit offensive.

Angus Thomas

A card which was produced in 1887 by Angus Thomas 'Ode to the specials', which he designed after demonstrations in Trafalgar Square during that same year, would have definitely have been offensive to the crowds of people who fought the police and towards the family and friends of the two people who were killed on 'Bloody Sunday' the 13th November 1887.