100 Christmas Wishes - NYPL

I've been eagerly awaiting the arrival of my copy of 100 Christmas Wishes: Vintage Holiday Cards from The New York Public Library.

The book starts off with a foreword from singer Rosanne Cash.

"These Christmas greetings from the vast collection of holiday cards in the New York Public Library postcard collection capture the abiding, universal impulse to connect with friends and loved ones at Christmas....In some ways they were the social media and email of the early twentieth century: brief messages dashed off quickly, to acknowledge and maintain connection and affection".

The cards are from 1887-1944 and are from 12 different countries. What they have in common are the beautiful, detailed images - and the truly lovely sentiments. They're all a tribute to a kinder, simpler time. Nature scenes, children, adults and of course, Santa, are found within. I was hard pressed to pick a favorite. It was only on flipping to the last image, that I found the 'notes on origins'. This appendix details (if available) the date and destination the card was mailed to. I would have liked to have found this information on the same page as the image, rather that finding it at the end and flipping back and forth.

And there was a bonus surprise at the end of the book - removable vintage postcards that I will be framing and making part of my Christmas decorations - or maybe I will surprise a friend and mail them one.

100 Christmas Wishes will make a wonderful keepsake gift for anyone on your Christmas list - or maybe for yourself!  Here's an excerpt of 100 Christmas Wishes.