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Holiday cards arrive each year from friends and relatives — even your financial adviser sends cozy wishes. We read, enjoy and perhaps display them for a time and then, off they go to be recycled.
As welcome as they might be, these cards and letters are one-way forms of communication, and most are forgotten early in the new year.
Adolph Rosekrans is a Woodside resident who sends out hundreds of holiday cards every year. In 2023, he decided to do something completely different and what he came up with transformed his holiday greetings into a unique, interactive experience.
First, a bit of background: Rosekrans has a thing for wheels. More specifically, he has a thing for the wheels in his collection of vintage horse-drawn farming equipment. His interest in wheels led him to amass over 100 horse-drawn implements, all of which was authentically restored by a small team of craftsmen in Rosekrans’ shop.
One look explains the fascination. Unlike the wheels on modern day vehicles (which are encased in black rubber and look pretty much the same), the wheels on the hard-working agrarian vehicles of the past varied quite a lot. They were designed to operate on specific types of terrain (hard, soft, hilly) and to do specific things (cultivate, mow, seed, haul). This need for dedicated utility produced a range of sizes and functional designs which also created distinctive patterns between the rim and the center axle.
Rosekrans, a noted architect whose work includes the award-winning Folger Barn Restoration in Wunderlich Park and the Taube Family Carriage House, now under construction next to the San Mateo County History Museum in Redwood City, finds inspiration in this combination of utility and aesthetics.
“I am fascinated by the geometry of the wheels, their materials and colors, the variety of their construction, the arrangement of their parts and their overall design,” explained Rosekrans.
Wheels from the Runnymede Farm Equipment collection have been the inspiration for Rosekrans’ holiday greetings since 2013. Courtesy Adolph Rosekrans. 
One of Adolph Rosekrans’ cards that was colored in and returned. Courtesy Adolph Rosekrans. 
One of Adolph Rosekrans’ cards that was colored in and returned. Courtesy Adolph Rosekrans. 
A diagram showing the range of different approaches to coloring the wheels. Courtesy Adolph Rosekrans.
We may think of old pieces of farm equipment as drab and rusty, but back in the day, they were quite colorful. Plows, carts and other pieces were protected from the elements with paint in hues of red, yellow, blue and green. “We would find the original colors under the nuts on the wheels,” explained Rosekrans.
In 2013, Rosekrans began using photographic images of the festive-looking wheels to create unique and colorful holiday messages. With the assistance of graphic designer, Ron Rick, Rosekrans has used the images in a range of designs and formats. “Adolph came up with the ideas for cards that you would open up, unfold and in some cases hang on a tree,” recalled Rick.
While every year’s card has been memorable, 2023’s card was a game changer. Everyone on Rosekrans’ list received an 11-by-14-inch card with a black and white outline of 10 wheels arranged in the shape of a pyramid. They were invited to “Color Your Card” and return the finished work in exchange for a set of postcards with artful depictions of the wheels.
This writer received a “Color Your Card” and was immediately struck by the concept. The idea of coloring in an image was simple, fun, timeless and anyone, regardless of age or ability, could participate. But it was the interactive aspect that really stood out. Every card had the potential to be transformed by each participant in their own personal way. And instead of being a solitary accomplishment, it would be returned to the sender who would be able to enjoy it, too.
Amid the whirl of holiday activities, I began to think more about unique color schemes for the wheels and less about all the other stuff I was supposed to be doing. I looked up color theories and made copies of the card to test them out. (Since it had been what seemed like a century since I’d done any coloring, it was also challenging to stay within the lines.) Instead of a being another chore, the process of thinking about various colors and patterns became a meditative break. I wondered if others might be feeling that way, too. What would their cards look like? What would they reveal? Would there be an opportunity to see them? What was Adolph Rosekrans going to do with them?
A few days into the new year, my questions were answered.
A poster arrived in the mail showing an array of the colored wheels. Each one was different: some were done in primary colors, some looked classic while others were modern and interruptive. Some were vibrant while others were subdued. Coloring implements and techniques also varied, ranging from crayons and colored pencils to markers and digital applications. (In addition to the poster, Rosekrans created a book containing all of the colored in wheel cards and used them in several textile designs.)
Most of the participants stuck to coloring in the wheels, but others flouted convention, augmenting the design with their own ideas or bypassing the wheels altogether and coloring in the background instead. Two of the cards were done by groups, with each person in the group taking a wheel, and several were sincerely scribbled by kids.
It was fascinating to see what everyone else had done.
Rosecranz shared some of the comments that accompanied the returned cards. They ran the gamut from sincere and sentimental:
“This really touched my heart.”
“I appreciate being included in the creative process and enjoyed looking and thinking about it.”
“So many memories rekindled.”
“It provided a fine meditation and creative reflection at years end.”
To confessional…
“We asked our 6-year-old grandson to color our card.”
To hilarious…
“Thank you for the opportunity to reach into my inner child.”
“Very nice to put my own ‘spin’ on them.”
“I’m up to my eyeballs in the holidays and you send this card!”
Rosekrans, now in his 90s, starts work on his holiday projects several months ahead of time. “It’s fun and I really enjoy it,” he declared. His “Color Your Card” for 2024 features a new wheel-inspired design and the tantalizing promise of a “Certificate of Artistic Brilliance” for each returned card. Response to this year’s “CYC” challenge is even stronger.
The wheel was invented over 5,000 years ago. It enabled humans to travel long distances and connect as never before. It seems fitting that the wheels in the Runnymede Collection have inspired a whole new way of connecting with others.
Note: The Runnymede Farm Equipment Collection was established 25 years ago and is now part of the San Mateo County History Museum. For more on the Runnymede Farm Equipment Collection go to: almanacnews.com/news/2013/03/17/american-made/
