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| The world's first commercially produced Christmas card, designed by John Callcott Horsley for Henry Cole. |
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| Wednesday, December 25, 2013. Merry Christmas. It got colder in New York last night — just the way Northeasterners would expect it to be on Christmas Eve — with snowflakes in the air if not on the ground. The city was quietly busy as many New Yorkers were traveling in the city, going to each others’ houses and apartments to celebrate the event. Today is the day we report on those best wishes and good cheer, with a look at some of the holiday cards that come our way. A little history: The Christmas Card was first commissioned in 1843 in London by a man named Sir Henry Cole. By the late 1840s, Queen Victoria began sending “official” Christmas cards. The first Christmas cards were printed and sold in America were made by a British company, Prang and Mayer, in 1874. It was a hit and a tradition was born! Mr. Prang, who is credited by many as the inventor of the Christmas (or holiday) card, soon had a lot of competition which eventually drove him from the market. |
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| When I was a kid, seventy-five years after Mr. Prang created the market, Christmas cards usually had religious messages (especially those sent by the more religious — Christian, that is — among us), or old-fashioned scenes, such as people riding down a snow-covered lane in a sleigh pulled by a horse decked out in bells (“sleighbells ring, are you listening, In the lane, snow is glistening, A beautiful sight; we’re happy tonight, Walking in the Winter wonderland.”) That song, along with Jingle Bells, evoked the feeling of Christmas in America mid-20th century. It also presumed what was then natural for this time of year: a snow-covered environment. Today, the Christmas card, now really the holiday card, is mainly about us, and that is for many, no matter their religion, the fun of the tradition. In America more than one and a half billion cards are sent each year. And now with the internet, cards are coming to us digitally. In fact some are included in this year’s collection. Over here at NYSD, Jeff Hirsch and I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy, Happy Holiday. |
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Contact DPC here. |