19th Century Christmas Cards

By Carla Olson Gade

Sending Christmas cards first became popular in England over 150 years ago. In the 1840’s John Calcott Horsely was a curator at the royal museum. He was late sending his usual holiday letters to his friends and relatives for Christmas so he asked the artist, Sir Henry Cole, to design and hand-color 1,000 cards. Horsely wanted the card to show people being fed and clothed to remind his friends of the needs of the poor during this season. 

Cole’s card depicted a happy family raising their glasses to toast the season. “A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to You” was printed on that first card. Horsely had a thousand copies of the card made and sent them to his friends. But in 1843 the cards went on sale and caused quite an uproar when the public thought that the scene on it encouraged the immoral behavior.

Artist's proof of first Christmas card.

Some people disliked the idea of sending holiday greetings, thinking it was foolish. At first, cards were not signed or mailed. They were hand delivered by a messenger with a calling card that had the sender’s name on it. Postage was only afforded by the wealthy, but when the Penny Post was invented in 1840, which carried mail by railway, people could buy a stamp for one cent. Cards were handmade, embossed with gold leaf and printed on expensive paper, many people could not afford to buy them either. By the mid 1850’s commercial printing made the cards cost less and soon people were sending cards around the world.

More artists began creating beautiful cards. In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s other card designers became popular. Many of them were female artists and children’s illustrators. The cards were often decorated with fringe, silk, and satin. Early Christmas cards were less likely to show classic Christmas themes, but instead birds and flowers were common.

1878 Louis Prang Christmas card

Americans had to import their greeting cards from England and Germany. Then in 1875, Louis Prang, a lithographer from Prussia, came to the U.S and opened a shop publishing the first line Christmas cards in America. He is considered "the father of the American Christmas card." By 1881 he produced more than five million cards each year until the 1890's when inexpensive Christmas postcards from Germany took over the market. The Christmas penny postcard remained popular in the U. S. until the outbreak of WWI which closed off the market of German imports.

During the first 70 years of the 19th century it was common for Christmas and other greeting cards to be recycled by women’s service organizations who collected them and removed the pictures, to be pasted into scrap books for the entertainment of children in hospitals, orphanages, kindergartens and missions. This was before the time where many children’s picture books were printed.

Do you send Christmas cards? Do you keep the ones you receive?


A Christmas surprise giveaway for one of our commenters from Carla: Two book set of A Cup of Christmas Cheer, Vol. 3 & 4 (see description below)!

Carla Olson Gade's publications include three Christmas books that you might enjoy reading this season including "'Tis the Season" in bestselling Mistletoe Memories. "Upon a Christmas Tree Schooner" is included in the Vol. 1 & 2 set of A Cup of Christmas Cheer from Guideposts Books. Carla's story "The Memory Shop" is featured in this year's Vol. 3 & 4 set of A Cup of Christmas Cheer. You may connect with her online at Adventures of the Heart.

From Carla's heart to yours, Merry Christmas!