The exhibition-show "Christmas Mood" runs in the National Library of Belarus from November 20 (in the circular hall on the 3rd floor).
On the eve of major holidays postmen deliver a huge amount of greeting cards all over the world. Each of them reflects the individuality of its sender being at the same time a testament to its epoch. Just as newspapers and magazines, they bear a reflection of the moment and therefore remain an important source to assess the perception of a holiday in bygone years.
The first Christmas card was sent in England in 1794. The artist Dobson painted it – a family scene around the Christmas tree in the background of a winter landscape – and sent it to the province as congratulation. Next year, Dobson made a lithograph of several similar cards and sent them out to all his friends as Christmas gifts. Then, five years later, there was an entrepreneur who decided to release them on sale.
In 1843 the first New Year card appeared in Germany, and since then they had begun to publish greeting cards of a variety of sizes.
Only on December 16, 1894 the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia authorized the publication of open letters to private publishers; until that time, the publishing rights had belonged to the state postal agency.
The offered exhibition presents about 50 postcards published in Russia, Germany, Poland, Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia, Estonia, Lithuania and Belarus in 1900–1980. The exhibits are placed in chronological order. The collection of Russian and German greeting cards of the early XX century is of particular interest.
Contact telephone: (+375 17) 293 28 86.
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