1 00:00:01,320 --> 00:00:04,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class, a production 2 00:00:04,400 --> 00:00:14,240 Speaker 1: of iHeartRadio. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Holly 3 00:00:14,280 --> 00:00:18,279 Speaker 1: Frye and I'm Tracy V. Wilson. Today's episode is a 4 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:22,800 Speaker 1: bit of personal therapy for me. Yeah, in the dingiest way. 5 00:00:22,800 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: It's not deep. I am working through my personal feelings 6 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:32,120 Speaker 1: about greeting cards lately. Here's why. Okay, I am trying desperately, 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:36,960 Speaker 1: as a natural born clutterbug who also married another clutterbug, 8 00:00:37,320 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: to just get rid of the stuff in our house 9 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:44,520 Speaker 1: that is hoggin' up space, sure, which includes the backlog 10 00:00:44,960 --> 00:00:48,600 Speaker 1: of greeting cards. And I'm trying to set some rules 11 00:00:48,720 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: and consider which ones have value and why. And of 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: course that led me to go, where did these come from? 13 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:00,320 Speaker 1: Why are we doing this? And then it came a 14 00:01:00,400 --> 00:01:03,520 Speaker 1: history project. There we go, because that way I can 15 00:01:03,600 --> 00:01:06,039 Speaker 1: parse it and think about their origin point, and that 16 00:01:06,080 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: will help me make the rules that will enable me 17 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,839 Speaker 1: to more clearly decide on the fly do I keep 18 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: this one for sentimental posterity reasons or can I toss 19 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:20,480 Speaker 1: this one? I think it has actually worked, by the way. 20 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:23,440 Speaker 1: But okay, we're going to talk about greeting cards today 21 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:27,080 Speaker 1: as I always say with any of these, you know, 22 00:01:27,240 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: kind of wide survey type things, not comprehensive. Obviously, we're 23 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 1: going to talk about some global history, but as we 24 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,760 Speaker 1: go on, a lot of it becomes about England and 25 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,440 Speaker 1: the US, because frankly, these are the places most obsessed 26 00:01:41,480 --> 00:01:45,440 Speaker 1: with greeting cards as we know them today. But it'll 27 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:48,680 Speaker 1: be a fun little trip around the world before that. Yeah. 28 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,200 Speaker 1: In The Romance of Greeting Cards, written but in nineteen 29 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,480 Speaker 1: fifty six by Ernest Dudley Chase, there's a passage that 30 00:01:55,640 --> 00:02:00,400 Speaker 1: reads quote, who can tell who originated the idea of 31 00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 1: sending a word of greeting? If it were possible to 32 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,760 Speaker 1: go back to that faraway age when the cave man 33 00:02:07,920 --> 00:02:11,280 Speaker 1: roamed the earth, and when there was no written word 34 00:02:11,480 --> 00:02:15,560 Speaker 1: and probably little spoken word, we would doubtless find that 35 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,919 Speaker 1: greetings of friendship or symbols of a desire to be friendly, 36 00:02:20,000 --> 00:02:23,280 Speaker 1: were sent or carried from one to another in the 37 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: form of a sign, a leaf from a tree, a flower, 38 00:02:27,520 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: a bright feather from some beautiful jungle bird, a stone, 39 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:34,959 Speaker 1: a crystal, or any one of a thousand and one 40 00:02:35,120 --> 00:02:38,480 Speaker 1: objects that might have been recognized as a token of courtesy, 41 00:02:38,639 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: good cheer and friendliness. And it's true we don't know 42 00:02:43,400 --> 00:02:46,520 Speaker 1: the origin of one human giving another person a token 43 00:02:46,600 --> 00:02:50,240 Speaker 1: of greeting, but there are some obvious precursors to the 44 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: modern day greeting card. Two places are usually invoked in 45 00:02:55,400 --> 00:02:59,920 Speaker 1: discussions of early greeting cards. We're using the term greeting 46 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,000 Speaker 1: cards pretty loosely at this point, but those places are 47 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 1: Egypt and China. In ancient Egypt, early greeting cards were 48 00:03:07,040 --> 00:03:09,679 Speaker 1: not cards at all, but they were sometimes bugs, well, 49 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: at least representations of them, specifically scareb beetles, which were 50 00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: considered a sacred symbolic representation of the god Capri. So 51 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:22,360 Speaker 1: just as scaubs rolled dung to create balls that are 52 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,720 Speaker 1: suitable for laying eggs, in Capri was believed to roll 53 00:03:25,760 --> 00:03:28,960 Speaker 1: the disc of the sun across the sky. If you 54 00:03:29,000 --> 00:03:32,200 Speaker 1: have been to any museum with even a small Egyptian collection, 55 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:36,960 Speaker 1: you almost certainly have seen scaubs represented in beads, amulets, 56 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:41,680 Speaker 1: and other artifacts. Scabs came in various forums associated with 57 00:03:41,760 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: different meanings, and they often had things written on their underside. 58 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: This could include things like names, mottos, or prayers, but 59 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 1: some had inscriptions that appear to be well wishes or greetings, 60 00:03:54,400 --> 00:03:58,400 Speaker 1: suggesting that they were given as gifts to convey those 61 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: wishes and greetings. These were usually inscribed with messages of 62 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:06,720 Speaker 1: good luck. They were associated with New Year's greetings as well. 63 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:10,400 Speaker 1: Papyrus was also used to send messages of good will 64 00:04:10,600 --> 00:04:14,160 Speaker 1: or cheer in Egypt for centuries, and one of the 65 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:17,480 Speaker 1: things that I read about this suggested that even if 66 00:04:18,480 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: there was nothing inscribed on it, it has been interpreted 67 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:25,640 Speaker 1: by some historians that if you gave someone a scarab 68 00:04:25,680 --> 00:04:27,960 Speaker 1: at the start of a new year, it was still 69 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: meant to convey these ideas of good greetings and good cheer. 70 00:04:33,040 --> 00:04:35,920 Speaker 1: China's history with the idea of sending warm wishes to 71 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: others is linked to wooden greeting tablets, which date as 72 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:43,279 Speaker 1: far back as the Han dynasty in the third century BCE, 73 00:04:43,960 --> 00:04:46,560 Speaker 1: and which remained in use well into the fourth century. 74 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: These visiting cards could be very basic, with a name, address, 75 00:04:51,080 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: and perhaps a job title. Another type of card, which 76 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: is more like the idea of a greeting card we 77 00:04:57,120 --> 00:05:00,360 Speaker 1: would use that term today, could include more space civic 78 00:05:00,480 --> 00:05:05,520 Speaker 1: and personal greetings. The earliest archaeological finds of these types 79 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,120 Speaker 1: of wooden greetings was pretty recent. It was in the 80 00:05:08,200 --> 00:05:11,880 Speaker 1: nineteen thirties, and it actually took several decades for enough 81 00:05:11,920 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: of them to be unearthed that researchers started to focus 82 00:05:15,440 --> 00:05:20,039 Speaker 1: on them. These were used as communication among officials and 83 00:05:20,120 --> 00:05:23,280 Speaker 1: dignitaries as a means to show respect as well as 84 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:27,800 Speaker 1: to maintain connection and good relations. One, for example, that 85 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,320 Speaker 1: was translated by Maxim Korokov, was mentioned in his twenty 86 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:35,080 Speaker 1: twelve paper Greeting tablets in early China Some traits of 87 00:05:35,080 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: the communicative etiquette of officialdom in light of newly excavated inscriptions, 88 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:45,640 Speaker 1: reads simply quote youth huang chaw bows repeatedly asks for 89 00:05:45,720 --> 00:05:49,479 Speaker 1: your well being, and then it includes the name and 90 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: the country of the sender. That paper will of course 91 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,440 Speaker 1: be in our show notes. It is a deep and 92 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,839 Speaker 1: detailed dive into these missives, So if you are interested, 93 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,320 Speaker 1: I have you set up with reading material. An article 94 00:06:03,400 --> 00:06:06,800 Speaker 1: from South China Morning Post written earlier this year That's 95 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: twenty twenty six by weekek Kun notes that early New 96 00:06:11,160 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: Year greeting card exchanges in China were very formal. They 97 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: sound a little stressful for these reasons. The traditional card 98 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:23,960 Speaker 1: was a calling card for the new year, and there 99 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:27,920 Speaker 1: were a lot of social rules around them, and the 100 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: contents of the greeting had to be way more than 101 00:06:31,680 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: just the simple happy holidays that less enough on a 102 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,520 Speaker 1: lot of modern cards. The development of the paper industry 103 00:06:39,560 --> 00:06:43,080 Speaker 1: also meant these greetings had enabled the transition from those 104 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 1: inscribed pieces of thin wood as the means to send 105 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:52,000 Speaker 1: greetings to more manageable paper cards. The earliest paper cards 106 00:06:52,000 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: in China are believed to have been spring festival cards 107 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: that became popular in the Tong dynasty in the seventh 108 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:01,839 Speaker 1: to tenth centuries. Over time, time, other events in holidays 109 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: included greeting cards like the New Year, and it was 110 00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: these New Year's cards that became so important that a 111 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: poorly written greeting could really damage a person's social standing. 112 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: That's very stressful to me. But according to Wee Kakun's article, 113 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:20,800 Speaker 1: over the course of several hundred years, these earnest missives 114 00:07:20,840 --> 00:07:23,480 Speaker 1: took on a new role as a way for corrupted 115 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:27,000 Speaker 1: bureaucracy to send bribes and expensive gifts to one another 116 00:07:27,360 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: to grease the wheels of government. Eventually, greeting cards in 117 00:07:31,200 --> 00:07:34,400 Speaker 1: China moved from the realm of the wealthy, elite and 118 00:07:34,440 --> 00:07:37,760 Speaker 1: political to something that everyday people shared with one another. 119 00:07:38,480 --> 00:07:41,760 Speaker 1: This includes the traditional red packets given it New Years. 120 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,040 Speaker 1: There's are the red envelopes with a greeting on the 121 00:07:44,040 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: outside printed in gold with money tucked into them. These 122 00:07:47,960 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: are given by married people to the next generation, and 123 00:07:51,520 --> 00:07:54,600 Speaker 1: they too have their own customs and etiquette, like only 124 00:07:54,680 --> 00:07:59,000 Speaker 1: using fresh crisp new bills and in even numbered amounts, 125 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:01,960 Speaker 1: with eight being the luck keist and four being an 126 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: absolute no now because that number represents death in Chinese culture. 127 00:08:07,400 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 1: In ancient Rome, it was common practice to give laurel 128 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: branches that were coded in gold as a wish of 129 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: good fortune for the new year, and this eventually evolved 130 00:08:16,040 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 1: into imagery of those gold branches being used on objects 131 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:23,640 Speaker 1: with New Year's greetings, which then eventually transitioned to versions 132 00:08:23,640 --> 00:08:27,400 Speaker 1: written on leaves of paper. This led to the practice 133 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:31,880 Speaker 1: of written greetings being adopted throughout Europe. These remained largely 134 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:34,680 Speaker 1: a way to celebrate the new year and share hopes 135 00:08:34,679 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: for a good year ahead with friends and business associates. 136 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:42,280 Speaker 1: Wood engravers also started to produce small prints that served 137 00:08:42,360 --> 00:08:45,600 Speaker 1: as a means of conveying these greetings, but Most of 138 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,439 Speaker 1: the cards that were given to people in Europe during 139 00:08:48,440 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: this early phase of greeting cards were handmade. Soon the 140 00:08:52,920 --> 00:08:57,600 Speaker 1: practice expanded beyond the New Year, people started writing Valentine's cards. 141 00:08:58,240 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: The oldest Valentine card on is a small piece of 142 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: paper written in fourteen fifteen by Charles, the first Duke 143 00:09:05,679 --> 00:09:10,160 Speaker 1: Dorleon to his wife von Darmignuc at the time he 144 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,679 Speaker 1: was captive in the Tower of London. He had been 145 00:09:12,840 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: captured following the Battle of Agincour, in which France was 146 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,880 Speaker 1: soundly defeated by England. His wife was younger than him, 147 00:09:20,960 --> 00:09:23,319 Speaker 1: which he referenced in the card. They had gotten married 148 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:26,280 Speaker 1: in fourteen ten, when he was just eleven years old 149 00:09:26,360 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: and he was sixteen. At the time of his capture, 150 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: he was twenty one, and he wrote her this poem 151 00:09:32,360 --> 00:09:35,120 Speaker 1: on a card to be carried by a messenger. It went, 152 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:39,319 Speaker 1: I am already love sick, my very gentle Valentine, since 153 00:09:39,360 --> 00:09:42,439 Speaker 1: for me we were born too late, and I, for you, 154 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: was born too soon. God forgives him who has estranged 155 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: me from you for the whole year. I am already 156 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: love sick, my very gentle Valentine. Well might I have 157 00:09:54,400 --> 00:09:58,240 Speaker 1: suspected that such a destiny thus would have happened this day, 158 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: how much that love would have be commanded. I am 159 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,480 Speaker 1: already love sick, my very gentle Valentine. We're going to 160 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: talk about that translation, which is partly mine, on Friday. Sadly, 161 00:10:11,200 --> 00:10:13,679 Speaker 1: the two of them would never see each other again, 162 00:10:13,880 --> 00:10:16,880 Speaker 1: as Charles was held captive in England for twenty five 163 00:10:16,960 --> 00:10:20,800 Speaker 1: years and Bunn died before his release. He left behind 164 00:10:20,800 --> 00:10:23,719 Speaker 1: a significant body of poetry, though he's considered one of 165 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: the great court poets, and he began a trend that 166 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:30,680 Speaker 1: became a tradition of cards that bordered on being love 167 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: letters being sent as greetings. Coming up, we'll talk about 168 00:10:34,679 --> 00:10:38,560 Speaker 1: a book designed to help people write something valuable in 169 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,720 Speaker 1: their greeting cards, but first we will take a quick 170 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:54,439 Speaker 1: sponsor break. The problem of how to write a good 171 00:10:54,559 --> 00:10:58,560 Speaker 1: greeting wasn't only an issue in Chinese greeting card history. 172 00:10:59,240 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 1: A lot of people have struggled with what to write 173 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 1: in cards because not everyone was as good with words 174 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:08,200 Speaker 1: as the Duke d'arleon. In sixteen sixty nine, a book 175 00:11:08,280 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: called a Valentine Writer was published, and it featured a 176 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:14,920 Speaker 1: collection of verses that someone who might be struggling with 177 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,880 Speaker 1: what to write on a card could use. It also 178 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:21,440 Speaker 1: featured a printed Valentine on its frontispiece, and this is 179 00:11:21,520 --> 00:11:25,800 Speaker 1: widely believed to be the first printed Valentine. The first 180 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:30,880 Speaker 1: standalone pre printed Valentine's card is really not known with certainty, 181 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:33,680 Speaker 1: but there is one candidate that was submitted to the 182 00:11:33,679 --> 00:11:38,640 Speaker 1: BBC by the Castle Museum, York, and this card features 183 00:11:38,640 --> 00:11:41,600 Speaker 1: a very ornate floral border that's been punched to look 184 00:11:41,720 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: like lace and a central image of a woman in 185 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:49,080 Speaker 1: a blue dress. The interior of this printed message reads quote, 186 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: since on this ever happy day, all nature's full of 187 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: love and play, yet harmless still if my design 'tis 188 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: but to be your Valentine? That printed in January seventeen 189 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,200 Speaker 1: ninety seven in London. The card that is in the 190 00:12:05,280 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: Castle Museum's collection also includes a handwritten note on the card, 191 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:19,359 Speaker 1: and that sounds maybe less romantic, a little more annoyed, perturbed. 192 00:12:19,520 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: Maybe uh we can take a look though. It reads quote, 193 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: mister Brown, as I have repeatedly requested you to come, 194 00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: I think you must have some reason for not complying 195 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:35,560 Speaker 1: with my request. But as I have something particular to 196 00:12:35,679 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: say to you, I could wish you make it all 197 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:43,679 Speaker 1: agreeable to come on Sunday next without fail, and in 198 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:50,000 Speaker 1: doing you will oblige your well wisher. Catherine moss Day. Yeah, 199 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,400 Speaker 1: we don't know what that was about. I'm very curious 200 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: what was going on between Catherine moss Day and mister Brown. Yeah, 201 00:12:56,840 --> 00:12:59,959 Speaker 1: mister Brown. Did she love you and it was unrequited? 202 00:13:00,760 --> 00:13:03,280 Speaker 1: Or did you owe her money? I don't know. Something. 203 00:13:03,320 --> 00:13:06,800 Speaker 1: I can write a whole thing. Even with books like 204 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 1: a Valentine Writer and the rise of cards with pre 205 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:13,600 Speaker 1: printed sentiments, Valentine cards were still something that was considered 206 00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:16,680 Speaker 1: a bit of a luxury. It actually wasn't until the 207 00:13:16,720 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds when Britain's uniform penny post made the cost 208 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:23,640 Speaker 1: of sending such cards something that was in the grasp 209 00:13:23,720 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: of more of the population. Christmas cards actually came a 210 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,280 Speaker 1: bit later in the game. This was not because people 211 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 1: were not sending Christmas greetings, but the tradition in England 212 00:13:34,120 --> 00:13:37,360 Speaker 1: and other parts of Europe was to send Christmas letters 213 00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: to friends and loved ones, to share wishes for the 214 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,440 Speaker 1: good holidays and a prosperous New Year, and to catch 215 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,800 Speaker 1: people up on the happenings in your life. Just like 216 00:13:48,200 --> 00:13:52,360 Speaker 1: modern Christmas or end of year letters tend to be 217 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:56,839 Speaker 1: for people who are more motivated than me to send 218 00:13:56,920 --> 00:14:01,240 Speaker 1: such things. But in eighteen forty three that changed thanks 219 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 1: to Henry Cole. As the Christmas season of eighteen forty 220 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: three approached, Cole, who was a Public Records Office administrator, 221 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:12,200 Speaker 1: was experiencing a bit of dread at the thought of 222 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: writing Christmas letters because he was very fortunate and he 223 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: had a wide circle of friends, and that meant he 224 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:21,320 Speaker 1: needed to write a lot of letters, and he was 225 00:14:21,360 --> 00:14:25,280 Speaker 1: also just tight on time. He was already receiving letters 226 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: from other people, but he couldn't imagine ever being able 227 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:30,720 Speaker 1: to respond to them all. It would have been considered 228 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: very impolite not to do so, so he came up 229 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,760 Speaker 1: with an idea. Rather than do the very impolite thing 230 00:14:36,920 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: of leaving a letter unanswered, he thought he could maybe 231 00:14:40,320 --> 00:14:43,080 Speaker 1: commission an artist to create something that could be printed 232 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:45,440 Speaker 1: in bulk, so he could send the same thing to 233 00:14:45,560 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: everyone and streamline his holiday correspondence responsibilities. And the artist 234 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:55,200 Speaker 1: that he asked was J. C. Horsley. Worsley was quite 235 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: famous as a painter, even though in eighteen forty three 236 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:00,520 Speaker 1: he was still just twenty six. He had at that 237 00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:03,560 Speaker 1: point exhibited a number of paintings at the Royal Academy. 238 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,680 Speaker 1: He had won a number of accolades. Even so, his 239 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,280 Speaker 1: reputation was not as impressive as it would one day become. 240 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: Cole gave Horselee a brief on what he had in 241 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:16,680 Speaker 1: mind for an image. He wanted a family sitting down 242 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,880 Speaker 1: to a holiday feast, but he also wanted to depict 243 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:24,240 Speaker 1: them doing good works and helping the less fortunate. So 244 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,320 Speaker 1: Horseley came up with a three part image. The central 245 00:15:27,440 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: and largest section features the feast, and then it is 246 00:15:30,880 --> 00:15:34,640 Speaker 1: separated from each side by a framework of wood and foliage. 247 00:15:35,200 --> 00:15:38,040 Speaker 1: In the left section we see a man handing out 248 00:15:38,080 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: food to a woman and child, and then the right 249 00:15:40,600 --> 00:15:43,560 Speaker 1: section depicts a woman draping a blanket or a cloak 250 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:47,840 Speaker 1: around another woman. A drape of fabric beneath that main 251 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,560 Speaker 1: image of the feast reads a Merry Christmas and a 252 00:15:51,600 --> 00:15:54,960 Speaker 1: Happy New Year to you, and at the top was 253 00:15:54,960 --> 00:15:57,760 Speaker 1: a line that just said two and a blank for 254 00:15:57,800 --> 00:16:01,840 Speaker 1: the name of the recipient. Popule loved the result, and 255 00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: he had one thousand copies printed on heavy card stock. 256 00:16:06,160 --> 00:16:08,560 Speaker 1: They had to be printed in you could say it's 257 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: black and white. It was actually kind of a CPA 258 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:13,680 Speaker 1: tone and then hand painted, and the result is that 259 00:16:13,720 --> 00:16:16,600 Speaker 1: the central image is in full color, while the side 260 00:16:16,600 --> 00:16:20,080 Speaker 1: images are in softer, more diluted tones. This is also 261 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:22,840 Speaker 1: why if you look at images of this card online, 262 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: because a number have survived, they may all look a 263 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:28,360 Speaker 1: little different. It's because of the hand painting. These cards 264 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: were quite small. They were five and one eighth by 265 00:16:30,880 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 1: three and one quarter inches for reference, This is a 266 00:16:34,160 --> 00:16:37,440 Speaker 1: little smaller than the most common postcard size today, which 267 00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: is four by six inches, and Cole sent these out. 268 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: This apparently actually upset some people, but not because it 269 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,640 Speaker 1: broke the social more of penning a personalized letter. The 270 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,160 Speaker 1: problem was that the children in the image are shown 271 00:16:52,600 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: drinking from wineglasses, and a number of temperance minded people 272 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: on Cole's list thought that was very in a prop 273 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,840 Speaker 1: This was a time in England when the temperance movement 274 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:08,040 Speaker 1: had a big surge. But nevertheless, there were people in 275 00:17:08,080 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: his circle that thought this was a brilliant idea, and 276 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:14,119 Speaker 1: they copied it and started sending Christmas cards as well. 277 00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,520 Speaker 1: Although it did not become a common practice until later 278 00:17:17,560 --> 00:17:21,560 Speaker 1: in the eighteen hundreds, Henry Cole won a design prize 279 00:17:21,560 --> 00:17:25,080 Speaker 1: in a contest sponsored by Prince Albert just two years 280 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:28,880 Speaker 1: after his Christmas card debuted, and he was instrumental in 281 00:17:28,920 --> 00:17:32,359 Speaker 1: conceptualizing and mounting of the eighteen fifty one Great Exhibition 282 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:35,879 Speaker 1: as well as the Victoria and Albert Museum. He was 283 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:39,919 Speaker 1: knighted in eighteen seventy five. Yeah, he was pretty interesting. 284 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 1: Greeting cards became popular in the US very shortly after 285 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:46,960 Speaker 1: they did in England, and one of the first entrepreneurs 286 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,600 Speaker 1: to really take advantage of the interest that people had 287 00:17:49,600 --> 00:17:51,880 Speaker 1: in this new way to let people know you were 288 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:55,400 Speaker 1: thinking of them was a woman from Worcester, Massachusetts named 289 00:17:55,520 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 1: Esther Howland. After Esther graduated from Mount Holyoke in eighteen 290 00:18:00,080 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: forty seven, she founded her own business after receiving a 291 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:07,320 Speaker 1: Valentine card from England. I read one account that said 292 00:18:07,320 --> 00:18:10,560 Speaker 1: this card came from one of her father's associates. She 293 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: had the idea that she could design and sell her 294 00:18:12,960 --> 00:18:16,280 Speaker 1: own Valentine cards and then have her brother, who worked 295 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:19,480 Speaker 1: for the family business, take orders for them whenever he 296 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 1: went on sales calls. His first time out, it said 297 00:18:23,240 --> 00:18:25,160 Speaker 1: that Esther had a goal that he would get two 298 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,159 Speaker 1: hundred dollars worth of orders for them, and then when 299 00:18:28,200 --> 00:18:31,960 Speaker 1: he came home he had actually had five thousand dollars 300 00:18:32,000 --> 00:18:35,720 Speaker 1: worth of orders, which is quite significant. These are really 301 00:18:35,760 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: lovely little art pieces. They often combined fabric and lace 302 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:43,080 Speaker 1: with paper to create ornate designs that contained little poems 303 00:18:43,160 --> 00:18:46,280 Speaker 1: as the greeting for the first batch of samples they 304 00:18:46,280 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: had used for those sales calls. Esther had made them 305 00:18:49,119 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: by herself after convincing her father to get her all 306 00:18:51,800 --> 00:18:55,399 Speaker 1: the needed supplies, but as those huge orders rolled in, 307 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 1: she knew she needed a staff to keep up, and 308 00:18:58,240 --> 00:19:01,440 Speaker 1: she sometimes described as having actually created the first assembly 309 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:04,879 Speaker 1: line because she hired several other women friends of hers, 310 00:19:05,200 --> 00:19:07,600 Speaker 1: and each of them had a specific component of the 311 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 1: card that they were responsible for adding. Ester wasn't the 312 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,720 Speaker 1: first person in the US to produce Valentine cards, but 313 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:18,439 Speaker 1: she was the first to create a line that felt 314 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,520 Speaker 1: special and could compete with the ones that were imported 315 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: from Europe. By eighteen fifty, her line had expanded and 316 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:29,399 Speaker 1: her company was advertising a whole product line, which ranged 317 00:19:29,440 --> 00:19:32,800 Speaker 1: in price from five cents to a dollar. Her most 318 00:19:32,880 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 1: expensive cards had tiny springs tucked in between layers of 319 00:19:36,920 --> 00:19:40,160 Speaker 1: lace and printed imagery, so when you pulled them out 320 00:19:40,200 --> 00:19:42,840 Speaker 1: of the envelope, they'd sort of fluff up and create 321 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:47,280 Speaker 1: a lux three dimensional shadow box effect. Others in the 322 00:19:47,320 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: premium category had layers and layers of silk and lace 323 00:19:51,080 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: that could be unfolded and reveal a beautiful picture inside. 324 00:19:55,440 --> 00:19:58,840 Speaker 1: Soon she expanded to make cards for other occasions like Christmas, 325 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:03,159 Speaker 1: New Year's and birthdays. Howland really drove the development of 326 00:20:03,200 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: the greeting card industry in the US in its earliest phase. 327 00:20:07,080 --> 00:20:10,199 Speaker 1: Her company, which became the New England Valentine Company in 328 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: the eighteen seventies, produced cards and also books. The New 329 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:19,159 Speaker 1: England Valentine Company's Valentine Verse Book, for example, was a 330 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:23,440 Speaker 1: book of decoratively printed poems so that consumers could replace 331 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:26,280 Speaker 1: the verse in a purchased Valentine if they felt that 332 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:28,760 Speaker 1: it did not suit their needs, they could just find 333 00:20:28,800 --> 00:20:30,879 Speaker 1: a better one in Holland's book and then cut it 334 00:20:30,920 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 1: out and paste it over the one that the card 335 00:20:33,320 --> 00:20:37,119 Speaker 1: came printed with. Esther did eventually sell her company in 336 00:20:37,200 --> 00:20:39,000 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty. That was so that she could take care 337 00:20:39,000 --> 00:20:41,520 Speaker 1: of her father full time. It became quite ill as 338 00:20:41,520 --> 00:20:43,879 Speaker 1: he got older, and then by the time she died 339 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 1: in nineteen oh four. The greeting card was a standard 340 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: part of holiday culture in the US. We'll talk about 341 00:20:50,320 --> 00:20:53,400 Speaker 1: the early days of Christmas cards in the US after 342 00:20:53,440 --> 00:20:55,879 Speaker 1: we hear from some of the sponsors that keep the 343 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: show going. While Esther was building her Valentine card business, 344 00:21:09,880 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: another entrepreneur, Louis Prong, was focused on Christmas cards. Prong 345 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:17,040 Speaker 1: was born in Breslau, Prussia, and he moved to the 346 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:20,159 Speaker 1: US in the eighteen fifties after being involved in some 347 00:21:20,200 --> 00:21:24,639 Speaker 1: revolutionary activity in Prussia. He settled in Boston and started 348 00:21:24,680 --> 00:21:28,359 Speaker 1: working as a lithographer. He had learned the lithography trade 349 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 1: from his father because the family couldn't afford to send 350 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:35,159 Speaker 1: him to school. In the early eighteen fifties, Prong created 351 00:21:35,200 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: illustrations for Gleason magazine before starting the lithography company Prong 352 00:21:39,920 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: and Mayor with his partner Julius Mayer in eighteen fifty six. 353 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,280 Speaker 1: He took over the business entirely four years later and 354 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:51,679 Speaker 1: it became El Prong in Company. Prong's company printed things 355 00:21:51,760 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: like advertisement art and business cards, and he continued to 356 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: learn the latest techniques to ensure his company was producing 357 00:21:58,400 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: top quality work. In eighteen sixty four, Prong traveled to 358 00:22:02,880 --> 00:22:06,520 Speaker 1: Germany to learn a new technique, and that was chromo lithography. 359 00:22:07,480 --> 00:22:10,960 Speaker 1: Up until that point, all lithographs worked the same way 360 00:22:11,040 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 1: that Cole and Horseley had done with their cards. They 361 00:22:14,119 --> 00:22:17,080 Speaker 1: were printed in two color black and white or in sepia, 362 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: and then they were hand painted. But chromo lithography removed 363 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:23,439 Speaker 1: the need for the hand painting step, and so you 364 00:22:23,440 --> 00:22:27,760 Speaker 1: could use multiple lithographic plates to add the color. Prong 365 00:22:27,800 --> 00:22:31,959 Speaker 1: returns to Boston completely inspired by the possibilities of this 366 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 1: new technique, and right from the beginning he really wanted 367 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:40,679 Speaker 1: to push chromo lithography to create incredibly complex images. He 368 00:22:40,800 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: wasn't doing just a few passes with color plates. He 369 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: was creating these vivid, deep color images using as many 370 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:51,159 Speaker 1: as twenty plates per design, and in doing so he 371 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: really set a standard in lithography that was hard for 372 00:22:54,280 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: other companies to match. In eighteen seventy five, he used 373 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,920 Speaker 1: that process to produce a Christmas card. Prog's card did 374 00:23:02,920 --> 00:23:05,119 Speaker 1: not feature any of the symbols of the season that 375 00:23:05,200 --> 00:23:07,879 Speaker 1: you might expect on a Christmas card. It was just 376 00:23:07,960 --> 00:23:10,879 Speaker 1: an image of a flower, not a point setia, just 377 00:23:10,920 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: a regular flower with the words Merry Christmas underneath it. 378 00:23:15,040 --> 00:23:17,840 Speaker 1: I couldn't find an image of that original eighteen seventy 379 00:23:17,840 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: five card, but I did see an image of the 380 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: eighteen seventy six card that appears to feature pink roses, 381 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:27,240 Speaker 1: and two different cards from eighteen seventy seven. One of 382 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: those looks like it features slightly stylized carnations, and the 383 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:35,320 Speaker 1: other looks like a spray of wild flowers, including a pansy. 384 00:23:36,480 --> 00:23:40,400 Speaker 1: Prongs cards were so pretty that they gained popularity really quickly, 385 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:44,720 Speaker 1: and over time the company started using more standard holiday imagery, 386 00:23:44,800 --> 00:23:49,320 Speaker 1: although they still outpaced other printers on quality. Prong was 387 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:53,960 Speaker 1: reportedly selling and astonishing five million cards each year by 388 00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:58,600 Speaker 1: the eighteen eighties. The Prong company also initiated a very 389 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:02,480 Speaker 1: popular program where it's started having contests each year for 390 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: aspiring artists to design the next card. This is a 391 00:24:06,320 --> 00:24:09,720 Speaker 1: lucrative contest. The first placed winner got one thousand dollars. 392 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:13,200 Speaker 1: That was a lot of money in eighteen eighty when 393 00:24:13,240 --> 00:24:17,160 Speaker 1: this contest started. Second, third, and fourth place also got 394 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:20,960 Speaker 1: prize money in smaller increments. It also was unique in 395 00:24:21,000 --> 00:24:23,160 Speaker 1: that it was open to women and to men competing 396 00:24:23,240 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: equally offering women an unusual opportunity to get their foot 397 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:31,440 Speaker 1: in the door of the commercial design market. The submissions 398 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:34,480 Speaker 1: were displayed at the American Art Gallery, and the winner's 399 00:24:34,600 --> 00:24:36,840 Speaker 1: cards would be printed along with their name on the 400 00:24:36,840 --> 00:24:40,520 Speaker 1: back of the card. Prong would also sometimes purchase the 401 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:43,040 Speaker 1: rights to cards that had not been in the top four, 402 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:46,280 Speaker 1: and he would sometimes sign contracts with artists from the 403 00:24:46,320 --> 00:24:51,400 Speaker 1: competition as designers for the company. This made Prong cards 404 00:24:51,520 --> 00:24:54,960 Speaker 1: collectors items. People wanted to get the winning card every 405 00:24:55,080 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 1: year they wanted that art. It also served another purpose. 406 00:24:59,040 --> 00:25:01,679 Speaker 1: Prong always had an ey on art education, and he 407 00:25:01,880 --> 00:25:05,600 Speaker 1: used this contest to share information about the lithographic process 408 00:25:05,680 --> 00:25:09,560 Speaker 1: with the public. His company still exists today and makes 409 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:12,960 Speaker 1: art supplies for the education market, which is why that 410 00:25:13,040 --> 00:25:16,960 Speaker 1: name sounded so familiar to me. This contest ran from 411 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,640 Speaker 1: eighteen eighty to eighteen eighty four, and by the time 412 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: it was done, a lot of other printers were catching 413 00:25:22,800 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: up to Prog's level and the US greeting card market 414 00:25:25,640 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: was well established. While Prong is often lauded as printing 415 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:34,240 Speaker 1: the first American Christmas card, there's another rarely mentioned figure 416 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 1: in card printing who put a Christmas card out in 417 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:40,720 Speaker 1: the late eighteen forties. That was shop owner and printer 418 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: Richard Hps of Albany, New York. According to the Albany 419 00:25:45,320 --> 00:25:48,040 Speaker 1: Institute of History and Art, Peace had a card designed 420 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:51,199 Speaker 1: by a woman named Eliza Forbes and printed it in 421 00:25:51,240 --> 00:25:54,720 Speaker 1: black and white for most likely the eighteen forty nine 422 00:25:54,800 --> 00:25:59,320 Speaker 1: holiday season. The image is interesting because it almost feels 423 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:02,479 Speaker 1: like pea sore Forbes had seen a copy of the 424 00:26:02,640 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: Coal Horsely card, maybe use that as inspiration. It features 425 00:26:07,480 --> 00:26:11,440 Speaker 1: a family celebrating Christmas in the center. That image spills 426 00:26:11,480 --> 00:26:13,879 Speaker 1: over to the right and left. Along the bottom of 427 00:26:13,880 --> 00:26:16,320 Speaker 1: the image. To the upper left is an image of 428 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: what looks like a holiday fancy dress ball, and to 429 00:26:18,880 --> 00:26:21,160 Speaker 1: the upper right is an image of the building where 430 00:26:21,200 --> 00:26:25,800 Speaker 1: PiS's shop was. This card was obviously intended to also 431 00:26:25,920 --> 00:26:28,680 Speaker 1: be a little bit of advertising for the shop. There's 432 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,840 Speaker 1: a banner of text that arches over the family, which 433 00:26:31,880 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: reads Peas's Great Variety Store in the Temple of Fancy. 434 00:26:36,800 --> 00:26:39,040 Speaker 1: The Temple of Fancy was the actual name of the store. 435 00:26:40,320 --> 00:26:43,040 Speaker 1: Under the family, the card reads a Merry Christmas in 436 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:45,440 Speaker 1: a Happy New Year, and then there are the two 437 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,040 Speaker 1: and from lines that have blanks for the sender to 438 00:26:48,080 --> 00:26:51,119 Speaker 1: fill in. It's not clear how many copies of this 439 00:26:51,200 --> 00:26:55,400 Speaker 1: card were printed, but as the messaging was specific to Albany, 440 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,760 Speaker 1: it doesn't really seem like they traveled very far beyond that, 441 00:26:59,320 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: and that account for this card being kind of a 442 00:27:02,920 --> 00:27:06,720 Speaker 1: relative unknown. I feel like I want shirts that say 443 00:27:06,760 --> 00:27:11,439 Speaker 1: Temple of Fancy, such a great name. There was a 444 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: concern around this time, fueled by critics of greeting cards, 445 00:27:14,920 --> 00:27:18,479 Speaker 1: that sending sentiments in card form was really just a 446 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:20,480 Speaker 1: fad and that people were going to get tired of 447 00:27:20,520 --> 00:27:24,200 Speaker 1: them in the twentieth century, But of course the opposite happened. 448 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:30,160 Speaker 1: Printing processes got better, so even inexpensive cards looked pretty good. Additionally, 449 00:27:30,280 --> 00:27:33,920 Speaker 1: life got busier for everybody. Just like Henry Cole, they 450 00:27:33,960 --> 00:27:37,879 Speaker 1: turned to greeting cards to ensure they stayed in touch. Additionally, 451 00:27:38,359 --> 00:27:41,719 Speaker 1: cards more and more frequently offered ways to enjoy works 452 00:27:41,760 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: of art. We talked about that a little bit in 453 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:47,720 Speaker 1: our episode on Tyris Wong, which came out on May 454 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,800 Speaker 1: twenty twenty four. You want to talk about beautiful Christmas cards, 455 00:27:51,160 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: so pretty, that's where to look. Another earlier artist whose 456 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:58,280 Speaker 1: work became coveted on greeting cards was a woman named 457 00:27:58,320 --> 00:28:01,840 Speaker 1: Kate Greenaway. She may very well be a topic one day. 458 00:28:02,400 --> 00:28:05,440 Speaker 1: Greenaway was an illustrator and she was hired by Marcus 459 00:28:05,480 --> 00:28:09,320 Speaker 1: Worden Company, a publishing company in Belfast, Ireland that was 460 00:28:09,400 --> 00:28:12,720 Speaker 1: moving into the card market because they didn't want to 461 00:28:12,720 --> 00:28:16,640 Speaker 1: miss out on this new revenue. Kate's card illustrations, which 462 00:28:16,680 --> 00:28:21,600 Speaker 1: frequently featured children celebrating, are still reprinted commonly today. It's 463 00:28:21,640 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: easy to see why they're very cute. In nineteen fifteen, 464 00:28:25,760 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: a family business was started by Joyce Hall in Kansas City. 465 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: They printed their first Christmas card. As the business quickly grew, 466 00:28:34,800 --> 00:28:38,239 Speaker 1: Joyce's brothers also became part of the Hall company and 467 00:28:38,440 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: they began to focus less on the original plan of 468 00:28:41,480 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: postcards and more on holiday cards. Later, the company changed 469 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:50,600 Speaker 1: its name to Hallmark Hallmark innovated and introducing the folded card. 470 00:28:50,800 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 1: Previous greeting cards had just been one flat card a 471 00:28:53,880 --> 00:28:57,080 Speaker 1: lot like a postcard, but the Hall brothers wanted to 472 00:28:57,080 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 1: add more space for a sender to write in the car. 473 00:29:00,800 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: They also started hiring well known artists to design cards, 474 00:29:04,280 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: including Salvadore Dolli. The company still has the original paintings 475 00:29:09,640 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: for card designs by Deli and its collection. Norman Rockwell 476 00:29:14,520 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: was also hired to design cards for the company, and 477 00:29:17,800 --> 00:29:21,760 Speaker 1: his continue to be printed with some regularity. I feel 478 00:29:21,760 --> 00:29:24,800 Speaker 1: like Salvador Dolli has been on the show a lot lately, 479 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: which is just fine by me. The US greeting card 480 00:29:28,600 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: industry became a significant employer, with an estimated forty factories 481 00:29:33,560 --> 00:29:36,760 Speaker 1: operating by the late nineteen twenties, and to keep this 482 00:29:36,880 --> 00:29:40,880 Speaker 1: new industry lucrative, businesses focused their marketing on the idea 483 00:29:40,960 --> 00:29:43,400 Speaker 1: the sending cards was an old tradition, even though it 484 00:29:43,440 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: was still pretty new. There were also charity card drives 485 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,080 Speaker 1: to drum up interest and just get people in the 486 00:29:50,120 --> 00:29:54,360 Speaker 1: practice of buying cards. In those cases, consumers were encouraged 487 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:57,520 Speaker 1: purchase cards knowing that the proceeds or a portion of 488 00:29:57,520 --> 00:30:01,960 Speaker 1: the proceeds would benefit a good cause. This practice really 489 00:30:02,000 --> 00:30:05,840 Speaker 1: solidified with the introduction of UNICEF's first holiday card in 490 00:30:05,920 --> 00:30:12,440 Speaker 1: nineteen forty nine, and charity cards have continued consistently ever since. Today, 491 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 1: the greeting card industry is in a unique position. On 492 00:30:16,640 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: the one hand, digital cards have cut into the market significantly. 493 00:30:20,440 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: On the other, the United States Chamber of Commerce says 494 00:30:23,720 --> 00:30:26,720 Speaker 1: there's some interesting growth in the industry. For one thing, 495 00:30:26,760 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: it's still huge. It's estimated to be a seven billion 496 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:34,840 Speaker 1: dollar market annually. That is billion with a B. For another, 497 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: there's some interesting innovation going on within it. While Hallmark 498 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: and American Greetings are credited with a whopping eighty percent 499 00:30:42,560 --> 00:30:46,680 Speaker 1: market share, industry leaders note that the remaining slice of 500 00:30:46,720 --> 00:30:50,280 Speaker 1: the market is filled with smaller producers who are able 501 00:30:50,320 --> 00:30:53,160 Speaker 1: to get into the business because of the relatively low 502 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:56,720 Speaker 1: startup costs, and a lot of those folks are doing 503 00:30:56,800 --> 00:31:00,840 Speaker 1: really creative things. According to the Greeting Card Art Association, 504 00:31:01,080 --> 00:31:03,480 Speaker 1: which is like a professional org for all these companies, 505 00:31:03,920 --> 00:31:06,840 Speaker 1: there are two things that have fueled a new wave 506 00:31:07,000 --> 00:31:10,600 Speaker 1: of greeting card interest in recent years, and the first 507 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:14,600 Speaker 1: is the COVID nineteen pandemic, because as people were separated 508 00:31:14,600 --> 00:31:17,760 Speaker 1: from loved ones and close friends, the greeting card industry 509 00:31:17,880 --> 00:31:20,479 Speaker 1: is one of the few that actually had some growth 510 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,760 Speaker 1: because people were seeking ways to stay connected that felt 511 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 1: more meaningful than simply sending a text. Another is that 512 00:31:27,760 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: millennials and Gen Z consumers have embraced greeting cards as 513 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:36,120 Speaker 1: previous generations have lost interests. Millennials are now listed as 514 00:31:36,160 --> 00:31:40,880 Speaker 1: the largest consumer group of greeting cards. One theory about 515 00:31:40,920 --> 00:31:43,400 Speaker 1: this growth is that it feels sort of retro to 516 00:31:43,520 --> 00:31:47,840 Speaker 1: send cards, which has appeal to younger buyers. Another is 517 00:31:47,840 --> 00:31:51,080 Speaker 1: that there's some fresh diversity in the messaging and that 518 00:31:51,200 --> 00:31:54,280 Speaker 1: lets people share sentiments or laughed with loved ones through 519 00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,800 Speaker 1: a card that feels in line with their usual dynamic. 520 00:31:58,440 --> 00:32:02,240 Speaker 1: New holidays are also being represented. Some are old holidays 521 00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:05,440 Speaker 1: that didn't used to be associated with greeting cards, like Halloween. 522 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: Others reflect an expanded awareness of cultural diversity, like Diwali. 523 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,480 Speaker 1: And then, of course there are newly created holidays like 524 00:32:14,680 --> 00:32:18,040 Speaker 1: Gallantines Day that have become popular and there are cards 525 00:32:18,080 --> 00:32:22,400 Speaker 1: to celebrate them. There's also a new availability of cards 526 00:32:22,440 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: that address more social and life moments, some of which 527 00:32:25,720 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: haven't historically gotten a lot of notice. On the card 528 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: aisle for sobriety or for a serious loss. For literally 529 00:32:33,080 --> 00:32:37,880 Speaker 1: any life event from puberty to gallbladder surgery, there is 530 00:32:37,920 --> 00:32:43,200 Speaker 1: a card. I have one that is like uh mad libs, 531 00:32:43,240 --> 00:32:46,840 Speaker 1: almost a lot of wild things you can choose from 532 00:32:47,160 --> 00:32:49,840 Speaker 1: about what you're sending your condolences for, and they're all 533 00:32:49,960 --> 00:32:54,560 Speaker 1: very silly. Yeah, uh yeah, we'll talk about interesting greeting 534 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:59,160 Speaker 1: cards Friday. In the meantime, we're going to talk about 535 00:32:59,320 --> 00:33:03,040 Speaker 1: art again. Okay, but this is like some beautiful art 536 00:33:03,640 --> 00:33:07,080 Speaker 1: by one of our listeners, Oh yay, who claims that 537 00:33:07,120 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: they're not that great but is a fibber. This is 538 00:33:10,440 --> 00:33:13,120 Speaker 1: from our listener Kieren, who writes, Hello ladies. A bit 539 00:33:13,160 --> 00:33:15,240 Speaker 1: of a rambling note. But I recently decided that I 540 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:17,680 Speaker 1: wanted to go back and improve upon my art education 541 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:22,600 Speaker 1: and finally tackle learning some figure drawing. Unfortunately, my BFA 542 00:33:22,680 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: program was not stellar, so I missed out on a 543 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:28,000 Speaker 1: lot of foundational skills. But there's no time like the 544 00:33:28,040 --> 00:33:30,160 Speaker 1: present to learn is I would love to be able 545 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: to do some fun and inclusive character design and storytelling someday. 546 00:33:34,400 --> 00:33:36,880 Speaker 1: I'm just starting as a February and am knee deep 547 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:40,160 Speaker 1: in anatomy studies and have found that ballet dancers make 548 00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,000 Speaker 1: such excellent references to work from. That, of course, got 549 00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:46,080 Speaker 1: me down a whole rabbit hole of re listening to 550 00:33:46,080 --> 00:33:48,800 Speaker 1: the two part episodes on the history of ballet, as 551 00:33:48,800 --> 00:33:50,959 Speaker 1: well as the one on Jean Baptiste Lulli, which had 552 00:33:50,960 --> 00:33:53,480 Speaker 1: been so fun to re listen to while I draw. 553 00:33:54,080 --> 00:33:55,680 Speaker 1: I think It's safe to say at this point that 554 00:33:55,720 --> 00:33:58,600 Speaker 1: everything in life somehow connects back to one of your episodes, 555 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: and all of my friends in really are thoroughly sick 556 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:03,880 Speaker 1: of me going ooh, there's a podcast episode about that. 557 00:34:04,280 --> 00:34:06,200 Speaker 1: Thank you so much for all of the education and 558 00:34:06,240 --> 00:34:09,160 Speaker 1: company you provided over the years. I also recently went 559 00:34:09,200 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 1: through a big move to a new town at the 560 00:34:10,880 --> 00:34:13,439 Speaker 1: start of this year, so having comfort media to lean 561 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:16,120 Speaker 1: on in the transition has been essential. Thank you again 562 00:34:16,160 --> 00:34:17,560 Speaker 1: for all that you are and all that you do. 563 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:20,240 Speaker 1: I hope your spring season is off to as positive 564 00:34:20,239 --> 00:34:25,120 Speaker 1: a start as possible. Questionably proportioned practice sketches attached. I 565 00:34:25,200 --> 00:34:28,359 Speaker 1: promise I will send better ones in future. These look 566 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:32,960 Speaker 1: spectacular to me. I mean, I don't think these are banned. 567 00:34:33,080 --> 00:34:37,759 Speaker 1: They may be practice, but you're nailing it. Listen. We 568 00:34:37,800 --> 00:34:42,400 Speaker 1: love art. I love sporting artists. I love that ballet 569 00:34:42,480 --> 00:34:45,279 Speaker 1: was a good Dancers are a really good opportunity to 570 00:34:45,320 --> 00:34:48,880 Speaker 1: study the mechanics of the human body, which is very cool. 571 00:34:49,120 --> 00:34:51,520 Speaker 1: This also a little bit is going to relate to 572 00:34:51,600 --> 00:34:54,840 Speaker 1: something I'm going to talk about on Friday. So okay, 573 00:34:55,239 --> 00:34:58,720 Speaker 1: when we talk about human figure drawing, there is comedy coming. 574 00:34:59,120 --> 00:35:03,160 Speaker 1: Great Friday. If you would like to write to us, 575 00:35:03,520 --> 00:35:07,560 Speaker 1: you can do so at History Podcast at iHeartRadio dot com. 576 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:10,560 Speaker 1: If you would like to see the show notes for 577 00:35:10,600 --> 00:35:13,520 Speaker 1: the episode, they are available at mystonhistory dot com. You'll 578 00:35:13,520 --> 00:35:16,400 Speaker 1: see all the sources we used. If you would like 579 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,919 Speaker 1: to subscribe to the podcast and you haven't done so yet, 580 00:35:19,000 --> 00:35:21,600 Speaker 1: you can do that anywhere you listen to your favorite shows. 581 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:30,200 Speaker 1: Stuff you Missed in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. 582 00:35:30,520 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 1: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 583 00:35:35,280 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.