1978 The Christmas Spirit, Betsey Clark #6

This 1978 Hallmark Christmas Ornament is sixth in the "Betsey Clark" series.

Featuring an original Betsey Clark design, this unbreakable, cream-colored satin ball is part of the Tree-Trimmer Collection and is dated "1978," on one side. In this outdoor scene, we see two friends about to exchange Christmas gifts, through the top opening of a wooden Dutch door, which has the year on the lower, closed half. A blue bird and brown bird stand at the doorstep, escaping the snow-covered ground, while another brown bird is perched on the windowsill of a blue-curtained window, closed to ensure three red candles reman lit. A young girl is standing outside the festively-decorated door to her friend's brick home, holding a white box with blue ribbon, and wearing a red prairie dress with striped apron, green gloves, fur-trimmed red shoulder cape, and matching hat with white pom pom. Her friend is dressed in blue and holds her orange box with white ribbon in both hands, ready to present it through the opening in the door. On the other side, we see the girl in red at her home, standing next to a plaque on the wall with blue stars and "PEACE," framed in ornate gold. Her little white and grey cat is sitting on top of a white stool, as she finishes up the wrapping of the Christmas gifts, with ribbon spools on the table and floor, next to her small Christmas tree. The caption at the top reads, "THE CHRISTMAS SPIRIT SEEMS TO BRING A CHEERFUL GLOW TO EVERYTHING." It's packaged in the original "window" box, viewable from all sides, with a gift card that has "WARMEST HOLIDAY WISHES" on the cover in green.

Betsey Clark (1915–1987), the American artist famous for her old-fashioned drawings of nature and waif-like children, started working for Hallmark in 1962, and her greeting card illustrations were so beloved, Hallmark made their first series of Keepsake Ornaments, in 1973, using her cottage-core art, which was then widely licensed, and is now highly collectible.

Artist

Betsey Clark

Size

3.779" H x 3.210" D

Material

Plastic and string

Box Size

5.25" H x 3.75" W x 3.75" D