Christmas Cards through the Years

Englishman Henry Cole gave birth to the idea of Christmas cards in 1843. Since he was too busy to write a personal holiday greeting, Cole hired well-known London artist John Calcott Horsley to design a card he could send to all his acquaintances. The cards made use of the religious symbolism of Christmas. Panels depicted the virtues of feeding the poor and clothing the naked. Horsley also painted sprigs of holly, the symbol of chastity and ivy, symbolic of a place where God has walked, throughout the design. Still, the card was criticized by temperance groups because it pictured a family with wine glasses raised in a toast. Many believe the controversy aided the popularization of the Christmas card-sending tradition. Over the years, Christmas cards have reflected the traditions and trends of society.

Late 19th century — Cards were often elaborately designed but lacking in most of the religious symbolism that is common on many of today's cards. After the turn of the century, the card market was flooded with inexpensive European postcards that were popular for more than a decade.

1920s — Early Hallmark Christmas cards were often hand-painted and the art deco influence of the decade was evident in the more stylized cards.

1930s — Cards of the 30s were more in tune with trends. During this era, many Christmas cards poked fun at poverty and prohibition. One card from 1932 wishes the recipient "your favorite brand of holiday cheer." Movies were becoming a major form of entertainment and some of the new animated stars, like Popeye and Mickey Mouse, began appearing on Christmas cards.

1940s — The custom of exchanging Christmas cards with faraway friends and relatives was boosted during the war years. Christmas cards with patriotic messages and flags were in demand. Cards portrayed Santa Claus and Uncle Sam carrying flags. Messages like "Missing You" and "Across the Miles" were created especially for servicemen fighting overseas. The cards of this decade also reflect advances in printing technology, such as the use of four-color printing.

1950s — Christmas cards turned modern in the 50s with more varied artwork, colors and themes. Hallmark Christmas cards introduced the work of many popular artists such as Andrew Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, Grandma Moses and Winston Churchill. Some cards echoed the language and style of the jazzy beat generation. Big cars were the rage and Santa was pictured driving them. Studio cards, with their often-cynical humor came into being. An early Hallmark Contemporary card showed Santa with cold war jitters as nuclear missiles loomed over his head. The message read "Peace on Earth." Another card showed Santa relaxing in his easy chair watching television. Humor had been used in a limited fashion on Christmas cards of previous decades, but the 1950s established humor as a specific category of Christmas cards.

1960s — Day-glow poster art and the psychedelic colors that were so popular in the '60s spawned many Christmas cards with decidedly untraditional colors. Traditional symbols like Santa Claus were also fair game for artists like Saul Steinberg and peace cards were popular. And reflecting advances in production technologies, cards from the 1960s made extensive use of gold foil, intricate embossing and other sophisticated production techniques.

1970s — Cards of the early '70s celebrated achievements in space. The so-called "me generation" and its interest in physical fitness spawned a new line of "Sporting Santa" cards. The nation's Bicentennial created a major interest in things nostalgic like Norman Rockwell and Currier and Ives designs. The "Born Again" Christian movement spurred a renewed interest in religious cards. In response, religious designs became more varied and stylized.

1980s — A maturing, less child -oriented society created an interest in more stylish and sophisticated Christmas card art. The number of women in business was increasing and new designs were aimed at feminine appeal. Colors were abundant and varied and newly developed printing and processing techniques gave many new cards a fine art quality. And as the public slimmed down during the health craze, so did Santa. In a shift from previous decades, the jolly old St. Nick portrayed on cards of this decade is visibly thinner.

1990s — The "me decade" of the 1980s gave way to the "we decade" of the 1990s, bringing a renewed interest in family and home life. Christmas cards reflected this "new traditionalism" with old-fashioned trees, wreaths, snow-covered landscapes and other traditional design elements. There also were twists, such as environmental designs and messages. In addition, personalized greeting cards, generated by in-store computers, gained in popularity reflecting the trend toward high-tech, high-touch applications and customization.

2000s — With the capabilities of technology and the Internet, and the diverse makeup of the population, Christmas cards have metamorphosed once again. Much as Henry Cole wanted to simplify his Christmas communication, so do modern-day consumers. Hallmark recognized this need and combined the two needs into one, offering electronic Christmas greetings and the ability to order and send paper Christmas cards online, as well as the traditional holiday greetings.