One of my favorite Christmas traditions is exchanging Christmas cards with friends and family. Although I'm guilty of relying on mass-produced store-bought options, one of these years, I'd love to create my own. When I do, I'll be using the following card as inspiration!
Back in July, I visited the Gray Barker Archives in Clarksburg, WV. West Virginia's (in)famous ufologist saved just about everything, and the collection is not only home to books and film, but also props, newspaper clippings, unpublished writings, and of course, correspondence.
One such piece of correspondence was a Christmas card sent by a man named Jennings Frederick. Does that name ring a bell? Fans of West Virginia folklore and weird history might recognize Frederick as being the man from Fairmont, who, in the summer of 1968 saw the strange creature now known as Vegetable Man!
Frederick would go on to report his experience with Veggie Man, along with his further UFO/unexplained experiences and research, to Gray Barker. Among their correspondence was a hand-drawn Christmas card featuring Santa Claus apparently piloting a UFO. Inside was a sweet holiday sentiment, a small poem, and a note requesting further communication with Barker.
As Veggie Man becomes more popular among West Virginia's menagerie of strange creatures, I'm so happy that I stumbled upon this interesting little piece of adjacent holiday history. I'm also thrilled that I get to share it with you this Christmas season! But, if you'd like to check it out for yourself, it's available in the Gray Barker archives, open by appointment.
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas!
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