Seasonal greetings from the Western Front
One of two silk postcards addressed to ‘Mrs Charles Hogg, Back Barraclough St, New Shildon, Co  Durham’

One of two silk postcards addressed to ‘Mrs Charles Hogg, Back Barraclough St, New Shildon, Co Durham

SILK postcards were the preferred method of sending special seasonal greetings home from the Western Front during the First World War.

The embroidered designs were mass produced in factories in Paris and sent to French or Belgian women who lived just behind the front line. They cut them up, glued the designs to a piece of card and sold them to the soldiers.

A silk First World War Christmas card sent from Tom Carr, ‘somewhere in France’ to wish Mrs Williams a Merry Christmas

A silk First World War Christmas card sent from Tom Carr, ‘somewhere in France’ to wish Mrs Williams a Merry Christmas

A silk First World War Christmas card sent from Tom Carr, ‘somewhere in France’ to wish Mrs Williams a Merry Christmas

A silk First World War Christmas card sent from Tom Carr, ‘somewhere in France’ to wish Mrs Williams a Merry Christmas

 

Some of the “silks”, like the second one sent to Mrs Charles Hogg in Shildon, have a little flap inside which the soldier could insert another piece of card with a specific message – birthday or Christmas greetings, for instance – printed on it.

About ten million silks were sent home during the First World War