DAY 4: 12 DAYS OF VICTORIAN CHRISTMAS CARDS

On Day 4 of '12 Days of Victorian Christmas Cards', it's time to look at a card with one of the most common designs of all: animals.

Copyright Michelle Higgs

Cats, dogs, monkeys, pigs, mice, you name it: the Victorians put all kinds of animals on their Christmas cards. Some of them were anthropomorphic with animals dressed in all kinds of Victorian finery. Others, like this one from the 1880s, featured creatures in their natural state.

Here, we have four cute puppies wishing the recipient a merry Christmas. Their heads are die-cut to give a three-dimensional appearance; this would have made the card slightly more expensive. This card is aimed squarely at the children's market. In fact, the reverse of the card is inscribed 'To Ronald, From your little cousin Guenelda with love and best wishes for a happy new year'.