The Brooklyn Daily Eagle from Brooklyn, New York • Page 51

tgr0P(igc Two HE JflRST VHRISTMAS VARD 1 It Was in England in 1846 That Sir Henry Cole Was Inspired to Qreei His Friends at the Holiday Season; Now Billions of Cards a Year Are Sent in This Country Alone irlggy This was done the next year, so that 1874 marks the beginning of Christmas cards in this country. It was not until two years later, however, that the Christmas card idea became widespread and this was due to the exhibits of such cards by different printers and lithographers at the Centennial exposition in Philadelphia. Another forward step in the Christmas card business was taken in 1879 when a British company, when had offered prizes for Christmas card designs, held an exhibition of the best ones submitted in Dudley hall in London. About this time a Boston card manufacturing company held a similar exhibit at which the first prize winner was given the sum of $2,000. At the London exhibit it was learned that the majority of the prize winners were women, two of them, Kate Greenway and Alice Hervers, later became famous for their Christmas card designs.

In fact, in the early years of the Christmas card business, before the great demand for them resulted in mass production and more emphasis upon quantity than quality, the Christmas card design was an important piece of creative art, so much so that it has been said that the Christmas card enjoyed a golden of art in he decade from 1878 to 1888. The exhibitions and contests which were being held by the producers of Christmas cards at this time did much toward stimulating interest in this form of art and uncovering many new ar'ists. "One of the art events cf the year 1880 was a card exhibition arranged by Louis Pransr at the American art galleries," wriies one historian of Christines cards. "For several years thereafter similar exhibitions were held, with competitions in the artistic merit and popularity of the designs, and such men as Richard M. Hunt, John La Farge and Louis C.

Titfany were sufficiently interested to act as judges. The exhibition of 1884 carried a special feature. The quantity of dilettante work that hitherto had found its way to the exhibitions tended to turn away great artists, but now their interest was deliberately sought in the hope of raising the level of Christmas card design. "Twenty-two artists of the fiist rank were commissioned to paint designs and these were purchased and enteied in the popularity contest. Among those whose v.

oik was shown was E. H. Blashfield, dean of American mural painters, and J. AUien Weir. The collection was exhibited not only in New York, but also in the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and at the Art Institute of Chicago.

But the later influx of cheapness and mediocrity proved too overwhelming for the continued interest cl the best artists in Christmss card designing." Until the eighties the illustration on the card was the main thing and the only reading matter was a simple greeting or an appropriate motto. Then poetry on the cards became popular and it became so popular that it brought into the Christmas card field several noted potts. On one occasion Lord Tennyson was offered by a London firm for twelve poems of eight lines each, but he declined the offer. The religious motif also was popular from the be-rinning afid as late as one manufacturer deck-itd that the most popular of all Christmas card designs as a reproduction of the Nativity scene, with Murillo's Nativity as the greatest favorite. Since that time various motifs have appeared in Christmas cards until now every symbol tif Christmas and many not wholly symbols ol Christmas appear on our Christinas cards.

mountain of Christmas cards which pile up in post offices throughout the land. Although the Christmas card is a comparatively newcomer among Christmas traditions, it can by no means be regarded as an infant industry. But as one regards the amazing growth of the idea, one wonders sometimes how our forefathers ever managed to celebrate Christmas without cards. For it was only eighty-two years ago, in 1846, t-hfit the first Christmas card first, at least, in the sense that it was tKe forefather of the present Christmas card idea was sent out. The man who originated it was Sir Henry Cole; later famous as a social and educational reformer.

He had already begun applying the fine arts to manufacture and was the pioneer in illustrating children's books with woodcuts of famous paintings. Just where Sir Henry got the idea if it was not original with him for the Christmas card is not known. Lover cards and illustrated writing paper had been popular in Europe for many years. In Germany illustrated cards were sent on Namenstag. the feast of one's patron saint.

In 1844 seme unknown person in the city of Leith, Scotland, is said to have sent out New Year's cards to his friends bearing a laughing face and the words. "A Giide New Year to but since this did not have wide circulation, it is doubtful if Sir Henry got the idea there. He may have got it from the custom of English school hcs of writing "Christmas pieces" on paper which they decorated with and much flourish of penmanship. But herever Sir Henry got his inspiration, after deciding to send out cards to his friends bearing his good wishes for happiness at Christmas he went to J. C.

Horsley, a member of the Royal Academy in Ixndon, for the design. The German influence was seen in the style of leafy trellises which divided the card into three panels. The smaller panels showed two of the acts of charity feeding the hungry and clothing the naked and the central panel showed three generations of a family party at the lestai board quaffing their Christmas cheer. The card was six by four inches, colored by hand, and r. thousand copies were sent out.

For some unknown reason Horsley issued his design under the nom de plume r.f "Felix Summerly." and the card bore the line, "Published at Summerly? Hive Treasury Office. 2 Old Bond Street, Since the card bore the inscription, "A Merry Christmas and a Happy Nw Yar," it can be legaided as the first holiday greeting card ever printed and sent out as a forerunner of a custom that has become world wide. Strange to say. Sir Henry's friends were not especially pleased at this remembrance and it is said to hae received much unlavoiable criticism. So he did not repeat the experiment and it looked as though the Chrtetrnas card idea was to die a-borning.

However, in the early sixties ornaminted note paper and envelopes began to appear in the stationers' shops around the holiday season and the use of these began to increase each year. Next these designs were stamped in relief in the center of a card with colored or embossed edges decorated by stencil or by hand. Thus the business of making Christmas cards got under way slowly. It was even slower getting started in America and it was not until 1F73 that the beginnings were apparent in this count ry. In that year Louis Frang.

a lithographer of Boston, exhibited samplts of his flowered business cards at the Vienna exposition and thty alt i Acted considerable He had an agency in London and one of his women employees there suggested to him that lie put greeting in place ol the name of his firm and issue them Cl-i-tmas cards. By James V. Booth SOME unknown wit made the statement that "Christmas cards will cost this country $50,000,000 this year and that does- not take into account the time lost In trying to remember to whom they should be sent." While it would be somewhat difficult to estimate the aluc of the time there aie those who can testify to the fact that the wag's estimate of $50,000,000 as the total cost of Christmas greeting cards is a modest one, it riot actually an underestimate. J-filtrs in Christmas cards will inform you that their business has virtually doubled each year lor the last five years, -nd the sea-on of probably will exceed all others in the volume of sales. The number of Christmas cards used in the United States long ago passed out ct the realm of the millions into the billions.

If there is any one who can testify to the increasing popuJaiity of the custom of sending Christmas cards, it is Uncle Sam's mail man. He will tell you that these gay little bits of pasteboard have doubled and trebled and quadrupled the burden on his back around Christmas time. The Christmas card is a gift in universal use for remembering ones friends at the holiday season. Rich and poor alike send them. The society leader has her cards of special design engraved on costly vellum and sends them out by the hundred.

The working girl buys hers at the "five and and sends them out by the dozen. Count that man poor in friendship, indeed, who has never received a Christmas card. The problem suggested by the it in the opening paragraph is a problem to many. How many "times have you, looking through the stacks of cards that the mail man brought you during Christmas week, come across one vhich held your attention more than momentarily you said, one fiom Mr. and Mrs.

Jones. Did Vfe send them one this In fact, the custom of sending Christmas cards has become such a problem to these conventional-minded persons who have never ful realized the meaning of the gift-without-the-giver-i; -bare statement that they have declared. "Never afaJni" But the next year finds them adding the'r quo', tu ('.