The Loras Library has a collection of valuable and antique Christmas postcards that were donated by the late Raymond Roseliep. Father Roseliep was a former Loras English professor and alumni who went on to become widely published and recognized as a well known poet, specifically for his haiku that gained critical praise. For more information on Father Roseliep, you can look at a quick biography of him here on our website.
The collection contains over 2,200 postcards that mostly date from the 1870’s to the 1930’s. Father Roseliep collected them throughout his life and from all around the world. While collecting, he developed relationships with many postcard and antique dealers who would send him different postcards on spec. Some of the postcards were also gifts from friends and family that knew he loved them. The cards feature many rare depictions of Santa, including variations like St. Nicholas and Krampus along with the classic Santa that people know today. If you are interested in looking at some of these Christmas postcards, a database with a few hundred of the collection is available for your perusing. Check them out here.
In addition to the postcards, the library also has a couple of Father Roseliep’s poetry collections.
The Collected Haiku of Raymond Roseliep by
Love Makes the Air Light by
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