Henry Cole (1808-1882) was a remarkable man who began his career as a civil servant archivist.  Cole had a keen interest in improving the standards of industrial design and he became an extremely influential figure in the Victorian era.  Cole was instrumental in the production of the world’s first postage stamp, the penny black and he also produced the first commercial Christmas card.

Cole was most interested in the visual arts and designed many items including a prize-winning teapot produced by Minton.    Under the nom-de-plume Felix Summerly, he also wrote many children’s books.  Cole played  a small but significant  role in the development of William Morris’s career.