Last Posting Dates & Office Closed Over Christmas Break

Last Posting Dates
To avoid disappointment, please order and pay for your book(s) by the following dates:
• UK Mainland – Thursday 14th December
• USA & Canada – Wednesday 13th December
• Rest of World – Wednesday 6th December

2017 has clearly been quite a year for so many people for so many reasons. For us, it’s been a year of change. Nothing stays the same for ever, and in a way that’s for the best. After all, how bored would we all get if everything was the same, year in, year out, forever? What would we have to challenge us, and to look forward to?
We’re looking forward to 2018, and plan to cook up a storm with a couple of new titles that are currently bubbling away. Plus there’s my exciting partnership with Dawson’s Auctions to produce ‘Design At Home’ auctions of modern and contemporary design. Watch this space!
But right now, it’s time for a much-needed break, so our offices will be closed from Friday 15th December until Friday 29th December inclusive. Any book sales or enquiries received between those dates will be answered or sent out when we reopen on Friday 29th December.
Talking about changes over time, even Santa Claus has changed. It’d be easy to think that this historic and traditional character has been dressed in a white fur-trimmed red suit for ever. Not so!
Before the 1920s, he was frequently depicted wearing a blue, black, grey, or green suit. The late Victorian scrap shown on the left is typical of this. Why do I mention the 1920s? Well, our idea of Santa was popularised by American-born Swedish artist and illustrator Haddon Sundblom during the 1920s in a series of advertisements for Coca Cola. In turn, Sundblom was probably inspired by the 1823 poem ‘A Visit From St. Nicholas’ by Clement Clarke Moore and Thomas Nast, as well as cleverly linking that particular coat colour to the brand’s hallmark colour.
Happy Christmas, one and all!

Leave a Reply