Holiday Card History

Have you ever wondered how the tradition of sending holiday cards began?

Go back if you will to London circa 1843, where we find Sir Henry Cole – a popular gent with oh so many friends! Sir Henry usually made his own cards to send, but his list of family and friends had become so long he just didn’t have the time do that anymore. In a “light bulb moment,” he had an inspiration. Sir Henry commissioned artist John Calcott Horsley to create a printed Christmas card for his personal use. And so it began!

The popularity of manufactured holiday cards extended to America some thirty years later, thanks to Louis Prang, a German immigrant. In 1875, Prang opened a lithographic shop and introduced the first line of American Christmas cards. He started small, with only a few hundred dollars to invest, but business boomed and by 1881 he was printing over 5 million cards per year! Today, Prang is fondly referred to as “The Father of the American Christmas card.”

Fast forward to 2007 and the Holiday greeting card industry is now a multi-billion dollar business. We all love to receive Holiday cards. We also love to send them to show our friends and family, as well as our valued customers, how much they mean to us at this special time of year. So, as you send your Holiday cards, may you feel the spirit of the Season in the knowledge that you are carrying on a long and happy tradition!