Newberry Winter Fest

As Chicago winter descends on the Newberry Library, we’re embracing this season with warm beverages and holiday lights. What better companion for cozy evenings at home than a peek into a frosty past? Here you can browse selections from Newberry Digital Collections with centuries of letters, postcards, and art about the holiday season.

Read Christmas cards from Ernest Hemingway, explore the evolution of the depiction of Santa, and learn how to say “Happy New Year” in multiple languages with vintage postcards. We'll be sharing more dives into these holiday items throughout the month at Digital Newberry on Tumblr . Subscribe there or keep an eye on this page to get all of your latest Winter Fest updates!

The frigid background image is Elmer Jacobs Christmas card, mid-20th c. View at the digital collections. The snowy ghost is named Enzo. If you haven't found him yet, keep looking!

Mid-century modern design on a tiny canvas, 1953

See how a 1953 Christmas Seal comes together -- one color layer at a time -- in Chicago designer Elmer Jacobs’ proof sheets

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Winter postcards, early 20th c.

All your favorite wintry pastimes, including ice skating, solo flights, and the occasional mushroom-and-champagne adventure

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Color our collections: Newberry New Year

Download a New Year coloring book based on vintage postcards, with greetings in five different languages

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Arctic exploration, 1820s-1880s

Investigate the 1800s European and American expeditions to the Arctic through toys, drawings, and diaries created and inspired by explorers.

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A 1598 map with... Santa?

Amid sailboats and sea monsters, the figure in a red coat and reindeer-driven sleigh isn't actually Santa. Who is he?

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Artists' holiday cards, mid-20th c.

Mid-century holiday greetings, designed by working artists – illustrators, graphic designers, and typesetters – drawn mostly from the Newberry’s John M. Wing collection

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The Old Man and the Sea-themed Christmas card

Did Ernest Hemingway invent the thirst trap with his shirtless Christmas card photo? You decide!

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All about Chanukah, 1954

A 1954 Hanukkah children’s book -- menorah-shaped and full of mid-century charm

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Holiday haul, circa 19th c.

Enjoy vicariously the unboxing of Christmas gifts past through excerpts from letters & diaries, generously transcribed by our crowdsourcing volunteers

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The adventures of Off-Brand Santa

Hey! We made the evening news!!

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New Year postcards, early 20th c.

Snowball fights, serene landscapes, and young love: ring in the New Year with these vintage postcards

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New Yeeres calligraphy book, 1606

In 1606, calligrapher Esther Inglis welcomed the New Year with an exquisite gift -- part artwork, part advertisement for her craft

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New Year diaries & letters, 1800s-1980s

From fresh diaries to long-distance greetings, see how people rang in the New Year from the 1800s to the 1980s

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