Lighthouse Christmas Cards

In 1843, an English civil servant and inventor named Henry Cole, devised the first commercial Christmas card greeting. The illustrator for these Christmas cards was John Callcott Horsley. Together that year, the men produced and sold 2,050 cards for one shilling each. In 1875 Louis Prang printed the first Christmas cards in America but was eventually driven out of business by cheaper-made imitations. When postcards were first initiated, lavish Victorian style cards became less popular. Then, in the 1920s cards with envelopes regained popularity. In World Wars I and II, patriotic themes dominated the market. Cartoon illustrations and risque humor caught on in the 1950s. Nostalgic, sentimental and religious cards have never lost their popularity.

Presidents Send Christmas Cards

The first Christmas card sent by a sitting President was during the administration of Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. He was an amateur artist and consulted with the Hallmark Card company on the design. During the John F. Kennedy years in the White House, the 1963 Christmas card featured Jacqueline Kennedy’s artwork, and was a fund-raiser for the Kennedy National Center For The Performing Arts. Since Eisenhower, every President has carried on the tradition of sending Christmas Cards.

A Well Decorated Lighthouse

More Christmas Card History