Omaha daily bee., 1914-01-04
CHRISTMAS CARDS OF TODAY
Idea Suggested by a Woman Only
Forty Years Ago.
AMERICAN ORIGIN AND GROWTH
Noted Artists Competed for Prizes
with Designs - Established
Firmly in the PubIie
.EnNor.

Firmly in the PubIie
Favor.
When you went to the Christmas card
counter and selected a dozen or two OF
these decorative bits suggestive OF the
holiday season perhaps IL did not occur
to you TO wonder how the Christmas card
came into being. II doubtless will be lust
your hazy notion that there were always
Christmas cnrds. or at least for the last
1912 years. or course some one must
have thought OF the idea at some time,
and others must have devoted thought
and ingenuity TO the preparation OF the
thousands which lie on the counter for
your choosing. But ss for how long the
Christmas card has been an institution
why. perhaps YOU are not sure that Rob-
ert Herrick. say, did not write some Of
his little verses originally for q hoiidsy
greeting on a Christmas card. oh, yes,
surely tho idea IA as old as that Didn't
the old italian painters paint Christmas
subjects IN the middle agcs7-and 30 on.
Neither Herrick nor the italian painters
had a notion OF a Christmas card. The
idea is virtually a newcomer. and is al
together American in its inception and
development. and American artists OF .he
highest standing contributing TO its
growth-John La Farge and others. The
story OF the beginning of the card is an
interesting one and has not a little TO
do with the story OF the better apprecia-
tion Of art which has come in this coun-
try in the last three decades. The Christ
mas card as we know II now was not
originated until 1873, when II had lts be-
ginning In the simply decorated business
card Of Boston art dealer.
Woman Suggested It.
II was in 1873 that the Vienna expo
siton was held. To this the art dealer
cent a small exhibition. and with II n
number Of his business cards. embeil-
ished with a conventional floral design
in colors about the name. Even 30 OBJ
vious a thing as this. as II seems now.
was much commented on and admired,
To one woman, Mrs. o. e. Whitney. 'he
notion came that q design of tho same
sort, with MERRY Christmas" and
Happy New Year" would be a pretty
remembrance TO send 10 friends at che
holiday time. SO new was the idea thnt
II did not occur TO Mrs. whitney Tor
some years that the appropriate designs
OF holly or mistletoe might be employed
with good effect. The next year after
she made her suggestion to the art dealer.
Mrs Whitney saw that tho tokens were
placed on sale here. They were merely
conventional floral designs, for the most
part unreasonable. done on small tinted
boards. Immediate popularity came to
them. and within n year the cards were
issued for Easter. ST, Valentines lay
New Year and Thanksgiving, all with
tho same conventionality OF execution,
From this first indication OF favor. how.
J ever the development OF the innovation
. was moro than tho ordinary story. OF In.
genulty. The art dealer saw great pos.
sibiities offered by the cards, and he
conceived tho thought of making them q
. roal expression OF the best that could bs
had In artistic design; II Ia much TO hli
credit that he was able to discern whaI
was really worth while. For II was ia
those decades just after the civil wal
that taste was At such low level ir
the United States. Perhaps forty years
from now the people will be astoundec
at what passes muster for beautiful with
Us today; but IL is fair to say that th'
difference In standards between then anc
now will not be so great as between th'
period OF 1873 and 1912. Mr.. Dooiey pu
Il this way: Those are the years "whiI
tn iron dogs howled on tn lawn art
people como fr miles 20 see 4 grott'
built ~ relics " tn Chicago fire. Be
SIDES these open-Rlr adornments. the N
teriors boasted taBscllcd lambrequins. pie
lures execrable In Nment and exc
oufion resting on easels. With 'throws'
| draped about; wax fruit under glass Jars
and such beffiilments. Execution Ia ar
was badly needed.
Influence in Pubiic Taste.
The Christmas card had some part Il
changing the level of public taste for tn
better. Tho art dealer who began tn
design Of such cards proceeded In tn
hest possible way to make these token
aid in public education. From the firs
/ the decorations. II simple. were wei
| done and colored and were truly prett
| IN their simplicity, In the spring OF lsS
however. a new Inspiration for the de
velopment OF the idea came into bein
| when the first competition for the de
| sign OF Christmas cards was institute
and tho leading artists in the countr
| were invited TO enter the llsts. tn
| prizes were considerable In amount we
| worth the attention of the most asplrinl
| Three prizes were offered for the bes
! three efforts In oils or water colors as
| gregatlng 5000. The names OF the me
selected as judges were enough to insur
] the standards which would be observe
IN making the awards. On the boar
were Richard NJ. Hunt the architect; Il
| c. Moore. the head OF the silver depart
! ment OF famous jewelers. establishment
| | and Samuel ColmRn Hundreds OF dAkiRn
were sent in and an exhibition OF tn
best was held for some time in one q
the art galleries In this city The wtr
ners were Roslna Emmett. first; Ales
ander Sander. second. ana Anna c
Norris third. The publicity given TO thI
= competition helped 10 increase the popl
larity OF the cards greatly.
Next year the art dealer announced